metamorphic
Quartz Vein in Basalt or Slate
Hydrothermal quartz vein traversing mafic host rock
Hardness of 7 for the quartz vein (Mohs scale), 3-5 for the host rock; colors are stark white for the quartz and dark grey to black for the host matrix; vitreous luster on the quartz face, dull on the host rock; cryptocrystalline or fine-grained host with crystalline quartz.
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Physical properties
Hardness of 7 for the quartz vein (Mohs scale), 3-5 for the host rock; colors are stark white for the quartz and dark grey to black for the host matrix; vitreous luster on the quartz face, dull on the host rock; cryptocrystalline or fine-grained host with crystalline quartz.
Formation & geological history
Formed when silica-rich hydrothermal fluids filled a fracture or fault in a pre-existing host rock and crystallized over geological time.
Uses & applications
Educational specimen, rock hounding collection, and potential indicator of hydrothermal mineralization.
Geological facts
Quartz veins are common geological features that often host valuable metallic ores such as gold, copper, and silver.
Field identification & locations
Easily identified by the contrasting white quartz band running directly through a darker parent rock. Found worldwide in areas with tectonic or volcanic activity.
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