Quartz (Flesh-colored or Rose Quartz variety)

Physical Properties

Hardness: 7 on the Mohs scale; Color: Pinkish-tan to flesh-colored; Luster: Vitreous (glassy); Crystal Structure: Hexagonal (trigonal); Cleavage: None (conchoidal fracture); Specific Gravity: 2.65.

Formation & Geological History

Formed through the cooling of silica-rich magma or from hydrothermal veins. This specific specimen appears to be a water-worn or weathered pebble likely sourced from a fluvial (river) or glacial deposit.

Uses & Applications

Common quartz is used in glassmaking, abrasives, and electronics. Rose or colored varieties are used as decorative stones, in cabochons for jewelry, and by collectors for metaphysical purposes.

Geological Facts

Quartz is the second most abundant mineral in Earth's continental crust. Flesh-colored quartz often gets its hue from trace inclusions of iron or titanium oxides.

Field Identification & Locations

Identify in the field by its inability to be scratched by a steel knife and its lack of cleavage planes. It is ubiquitous in gravel pits, riverbeds, and mountainous regions worldwide.

Identified on: 4/20/2026

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