mineral
Quartz
Silicon Dioxide (SiO2)
Hardness of 7 on the Mohs scale, typically white, clear, or milky with a vitreous (glassy) luster, hexagonal crystal system, and conchoidal fracture with no true cleavage. Specific gravity is approximately 2.65.
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Physical properties
Hardness of 7 on the Mohs scale, typically white, clear, or milky with a vitreous (glassy) luster, hexagonal crystal system, and conchoidal fracture with no true cleavage. Specific gravity is approximately 2.65.
Formation & geological history
Forms in a wide variety of geological environments, most commonly crystallized from silica-rich hydrothermal veins, pegmatites, and as a primary component of igneous, metamorphic, and sedimentary rocks.
Uses & applications
Used in electronics, glassware, precision instruments, gemstones, and abrasive materials.
Geological facts
Quartz is one of the most abundant and widely distributed minerals found on Earth's continental crust.
Field identification & locations
Easily identified by its hardness (scratches glass), lack of cleavage, and glassy appearance. Found globally in almost every rock type.
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Schist
Schist
Metamorphic
Septarian Pebble
Septarian nodule / Concretion
sedimentary
Potassium Feldspar (Orthoclase)
Orthoclase (KAlSi3O8)
mineral