mineral
Quartz (Vein Quartz / Chalcedony)
Silicon dioxide (SiO2)
AI-generated identification · may be incorrectHardness 7 on Mohs scale; milky-white to yellowish translucent; vitreous to waxy luster; conchoidal fracture with no cleavage.
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Physical properties
Hardness 7 on Mohs scale; milky-white to yellowish translucent; vitreous to waxy luster; conchoidal fracture with no cleavage.
Formation & geological history
Precipitated from silica-rich hydrothermal fluids filling fractures and cavities in host rocks, commonly weathered out into secondary gravels.
Uses & applications
Used in electronics (semiconductors, oscillators), glassmaking, abrasive manufacturing, and as ornamental or tumbled decorative stones.
Geological facts
Quartz is one of the most abundant minerals on Earth's continental crust and is exceptionally resistant to mechanical and chemical weathering.
Field identification & locations
Identified by its ability to easily scratch glass (Mohs 7), lack of cleavage, and translucent, waxy to glassy appearance; ubiquitous worldwide in soils, gravels, and riverbeds.
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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
Pegmatite with Tourmaline and Quartz
Igneous Pegmatite
igneous
Epidote
Epidote | Ca2(Al2,Fe3+)(SiO4)(Si2O7)O(OH)
metamorphic
Granite
Granite (Phaneritic intrusive igneous rock)
igneous