mineral
Quartz Crystal Fragment
Silicon Dioxide (SiO2)
Hardness: 7 on Mohs scale. Color: Pale yellow to off-white/translucent. Luster: Vitreous to greasy. Crystal System: Trigonal/Hexagonal. Specific Gravity: ~2.65.
- Hardness
- 7 on Mohs scale
- Color
- Pale yellow to off-white/translucent
- Luster
- Vitreous to greasy
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Physical properties
Hardness: 7 on Mohs scale. Color: Pale yellow to off-white/translucent. Luster: Vitreous to greasy. Crystal System: Trigonal/Hexagonal. Specific Gravity: ~2.65.
Formation & geological history
Forms in a wide variety of geological environments, including igneous pegmatites, hydrothermal veins, and metamorphic rocks. Created through the crystallization of silica-rich fluids.
Uses & applications
Quartz is widely used in electronics (piezoelectric applications), glassmaking, abrasives, jewelry, and gemstone/specimen collecting.
Geological facts
Quartz is one of the most abundant minerals in Earth's continental crust. Small translucent or pale yellowish fragments like this are extremely common in gravel, quartz veins, and riverbeds.
Field identification & locations
Identified in the field by its ability to scratch glass (Hardness 7), lack of true cleavage, shell-like (conchoidal) fracture, and vitreous luster. Found globally in almost all rock types.
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