mineral

Quartz (Clear Quartz)

Silicon Dioxide (SiO2)

Hardness: 7 on Mohs scale. Color: Colorless to pale yellowish/translucent with internal fracturing and minor reddish-brown iron oxide inclusions. Luster: Vitreous (glassy). Crystal Structure: Trigonal. Cleavage: None (conchoidal fracture). Specific Gravity: 2.65.

Hardness: 7 on Mohs scale
Luster: Vitreous (glassy)

Identified July 22, 2026More mineral →

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Physical properties

Formation & geological history

Forms in a wide variety of geological environments including igneous pegmatites, hydrothermal veins, metamorphic rocks, and sedimentary deposits. It crystallizes from silica-rich fluids over extensive geological timeframes.

Uses & applications

Used extensively in jewelry, gemstone carving, optics, electronics (due to its piezoelectric properties), and as raw silica material for glassmaking and industrial applications.

Geological facts

Clear quartz is one of the most abundant minerals on Earth's continental crust. Pure quartz crystals were historically believed by ancient Greeks to be permanent ice that would never melt.

Field identification & locations

Identifiable in the field by its hardness (scratches glass and steel), lack of true cleavage, glass-like vitreous luster, and typical hexagonal crystal habit when fully formed. Found globally in granitic pegmatites, river beds, and quartz veins.