mineral
Quartz
Silicon Dioxide (SiO2)
Hardness: 7 on Mohs scale; Color: Colorless, white, or various tints; Luster: Vitreous (glassy); Crystal Structure: Trigonal; Cleavage: None (conchoidal fracture); Specific Gravity: 2.65
- Hardness
- 7 on Mohs scale
- Color
- Colorless, white, or various tints
- Luster
- Vitreous (glassy)
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Physical properties
Hardness: 7 on Mohs scale; Color: Colorless, white, or various tints; Luster: Vitreous (glassy); Crystal Structure: Trigonal; Cleavage: None (conchoidal fracture); Specific Gravity: 2.65
Formation & geological history
Formed in a wide variety of geological environments, commonly precipitating from hydrothermal veins or crystallizing from silica-rich magmas and pegmatites.
Uses & applications
Used in electronics, watches, glassmaking, abrasives, and as decorative gemstone and mineral collector specimens.
Geological facts
Quartz is one of the most abundant minerals in the Earth's continental crust and exhibits piezoelectric properties, meaning it can generate an electrical charge under mechanical stress.
Field identification & locations
Easily identified in the field by its characteristic crystal habit, high hardness (scratches glass easily), and conchoidal fracture. Found worldwide.
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