mineral
Quartz
Silicon Dioxide (SiO2)
Hardness of 7 on the Mohs scale, clear to white or yellowish color, vitreous luster, trigonal crystal system, conchoidal fracture, specific gravity of 2.65
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Physical properties
Hardness of 7 on the Mohs scale, clear to white or yellowish color, vitreous luster, trigonal crystal system, conchoidal fracture, specific gravity of 2.65
Formation & geological history
Formed in a wide variety of geological environments including igneous, metamorphic, and sedimentary rocks, often crystallizing from hydrothermal veins or silica-rich magmas.
Uses & applications
Used in electronics, oscillators, glassmaking, abrasives, and as a gemstone or specimen for collectors.
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
Identified by its high hardness (scratches glass), lack of cleavage, and vitreous luster; found worldwide in almost every geological setting.
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Other mineral specimens
Sandstone (with potential mineral staining/concretions)
Arenite (SiO2 based)
sedimentary
Soil with Mineral Detritus and Quartz Fragments
Regolith / Silicate Mineral Aggregate
sedimentary
Limonite / Goethite (Iron Ore Mineral nodule)
FeO(OH)·nH2O / FeO(OH)
mineral
Septarian Pebble
Septarian nodule / Concretion
sedimentary
Schist
Schist
Metamorphic
Potassium Feldspar (Orthoclase)
Orthoclase (KAlSi3O8)
mineral