mineral
Quartz (Smoky/Clear variety)
Silicon Dioxide (SiO2)
Hardness: 7 (Mohs scale), Color: Colorless to greyish-translucent, Luster: Vitreous (glassy), Crystal Structure: Hexagonal/Trigonal, Cleavage: None (Conchoidal fracture), Specific Gravity: 2.65
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Physical properties
Hardness: 7 (Mohs scale), Color: Colorless to greyish-translucent, Luster: Vitreous (glassy), Crystal Structure: Hexagonal/Trigonal, Cleavage: None (Conchoidal fracture), Specific Gravity: 2.65
Formation & geological history
Formed from silica-rich hydrothermal solutions or cooling magma in igneous rocks like granite. It can be found in a wide variety of environments including sedimentary veins and metamorphic rocks.
Uses & applications
Used in electronics (as piezoelectric crystal), glass manufacturing, abrasives, jewelry (semiprecious), and widely collected by amateur mineralogists.
Geological facts
Quartz is the second most abundant mineral in Earth's continental crust. Pure quartz is traditionally called rock crystal or clear quartz.
Field identification & locations
Identify in the field by its hardness (it should easily scratch glass) and its lack of cleavage. Look for hexagonal crystal faces and its glassy appearance even on broken surfaces. Very common worldwide.
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Epidote
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Nephrite Jade
Nephrite
Mineral/Rock
Banded Gneiss (River Rock/Pebble)
Gneiss (specifically a banded variety often found as a river rock)
Metamorphic Rock
![Biotite Schist (Biotite-rich Schist [K(Mg,Fe)3AlSi3O10(F,OH)2]) — metamorphic](https://media.rock.id/9ca564b5-bc87-402b-965a-69b21f9aa6bf-thumbnail.jpg)
Biotite Schist
Biotite-rich Schist [K(Mg,Fe)3AlSi3O10(F,OH)2]
metamorphic