mineral

Quartz with Iron Staining

Silicon Dioxide (SiO2) with Fe2O3 (Hematite/Limonite) inclusions

Hardness: 7 on Mohs scale; Color: Grayish-white with brownish-yellow iron staining; Luster: Vitreous to greasy; Crystal Structure: Trigonal; Cleavage: None (conchoidal fracture); Specific Gravity: 2.65

Hardness: 7 on Mohs scale
Color: Grayish-white with brownish-yellow iron staining
Luster: Vitreous to greasy

Identified July 15, 2026More mineral →

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Physical properties

Formation & geological history

Formed from silica-rich hydrothermal fluids cooling in veins or cavities within crustal rocks. The orange-brown coloring is caused by later oxidation of iron minerals or iron-rich groundwater staining the surface and internal fractures.

Uses & applications

Primarily used for landscape decoration, glass manufacturing, or as part of a mineral collection. Higher quality quartz is used in electronics and jewelry.

Geological facts

Quartz is the second most abundant mineral in Earth's continental crust. Iron-stained quartz is often the primary component of many 'gold-bearing' quartz veins, leading miners to track these rusty colors in the field.

Field identification & locations

Identify by its hardness (it will scratch glass), its lack of cleavage, and the characteristic rusty crust. Common in almost all mountainous and rocky environments globally.

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