mineral
Quartz Grain / Fragment
Silicon Dioxide (SiO2)
AI-generated identification · may be incorrectMohs hardness 7, transparent to white, vitreous luster, trigonal system with conchoidal fracture.
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Physical properties
Mohs hardness 7, transparent to white, vitreous luster, trigonal system with conchoidal fracture.
Formation & geological history
Crystallized from cooling igneous magma, hydrothermal fluid precipitation, or weathered from pre-existing quartz-bearing rocks.
Uses & applications
Quartz grains are used in glassmaking, construction sand, abrasives, and as semiconductor materials.
Geological facts
Quartz is the second most abundant mineral in Earth's continental crust and extremely resistant to mechanical and chemical weathering.
Field identification & locations
Identified in the field by its hardness (scratches glass), lack of cleavage, and glassy appearance; found in sands, soils, and pegmatites worldwide.
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Other mineral specimens
Gneiss or Schist
Gneiss or Mica Schist with Garnet
Metamorphic
Sandstone (with potential mineral staining/concretions)
Arenite (SiO2 based)
sedimentary
Tumbled granite
Granite, a coarse-grained felsic intrusive igneous rock
igneous
Epidote
Epidote | Ca2(Al2,Fe3+)(SiO4)(Si2O7)O(OH)
metamorphic
Pegmatite with Tourmaline and Quartz
Igneous Pegmatite
igneous
Granite
Granite (Phaneritic intrusive igneous rock)
igneous