mineral
Quartz
Silicon Dioxide (SiO2)
Hardness of 7 on the Mohs scale, clear to white or colored with impurities, vitreous (glassy) 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 colored with impurities, vitreous (glassy) luster, trigonal crystal system, conchoidal fracture, specific gravity of 2.65
Formation & geological history
Forms in a wide variety of geological environments including igneous, metamorphic, and sedimentary rocks, often precipitated from silica-rich hydrothermal solutions
Uses & applications
Used in electronics, oscillators, glassmaking, abrasives, and as a gemstone or ornamental mineral
Geological facts
Quartz is the second most abundant mineral in Earth's continental crust, after feldspar, and exhibits piezoelectric properties
Field identification & locations
Identified by its high hardness (scratches glass), conchoidal fracture, and lack of cleavage; found globally in almost every rock type
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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