metamorphic
Quartz Vein with Host Rock (Greywacke/Siltstone)
Silicon Dioxide (SiO2) within Clastic Sedimentary/Metamorphic Matrix
Hardness: 7 (quartz), 5-6 (host rock); Color: White, cream, and grey; Luster: Vitreous to dull; Crystal structure: Trigonal (microcrystalline); Cleavage: None/Conchoidal
- Hardness
- 7 (quartz), 5-6 (host rock)
- Color
- White, cream, and grey
- Luster
- Vitreous to dull
Identified More metamorphic →
Identify your own rocks.
Get a report just like this from any photo, free.
Physical properties
Hardness: 7 (quartz), 5-6 (host rock); Color: White, cream, and grey; Luster: Vitreous to dull; Crystal structure: Trigonal (microcrystalline); Cleavage: None/Conchoidal
Formation & geological history
Formed via hydrothermal activity where silica-rich fluids filled fractures in existing rock under high pressure and temperature, later rounded by water erosion.
Uses & applications
Primarily of interest to collectors; industrial quartz is used in glassmaking, electronics, and abrasives.
Geological facts
Quartz veins are often the primary source of 'lode gold', as gold is frequently deposited by the same hydrothermal fluids that carry the silica.
Field identification & locations
Identify by scratching the white section against glass (it should scratch); look for the sharp boundary between the milky white quartz and the darker host rock. Common in riverbeds.
More like this
