mineral

White Quartz

Quartz (Silicon Dioxide, SiO2)

Hardness of 7 on the Mohs scale; white, milky, or colorless; vitreous to greasy luster; hexagonal crystal system; conchoidal fracture with no true cleavage; specific gravity of 2.65.

Identified August 3, 2026More mineral →

Explore White Quartz in the encyclopedia →

Identify your own rocks.

Get a report just like this from any photo, free.

App Store Google Play

Physical properties

Hardness of 7 on the Mohs scale; white, milky, or colorless; vitreous to greasy luster; hexagonal crystal system; conchoidal fracture with no true cleavage; specific gravity of 2.65.

Formation & geological history

Forms in a wide variety of geological environments, most commonly crystallized from silica-rich hydrothermal solutions or cooling magma. It is a primary constituent of many igneous, metamorphic, and sedimentary rocks.

Uses & applications

Used in electronics, oscillators, glassmaking, abrasives, gemstone carvings, and crystal collections.

Geological facts

Quartz is one of the most abundant and widely distributed minerals on Earth's continental crust. Milky quartz gets its white color from microscopic fluid inclusions trapped during growth.

Field identification & locations

Easily identified by its hardness (it scratches glass easily and cannot be scratched by a steel knife) and its characteristic conchoidal fracture. Found worldwide.