mineral

Gold-bearing Quartz Ore

Auriferous Quartz (SiO2 with Au)

Hardness: 7 (Quartz) / 2.5-3 (Gold); Color: Milky to vitreous gray quartz with metallic yellow inclusions; Luster: Vitreous to metallic; Crystal structure: Trigonal/Isometric; Specific Gravity: 2.65 (Quartz) / 19.3 (Gold)

Hardness: 7 (Quartz) / 2
Luster: Vitreous to metallic

Identified June 6, 2026More mineral →

Identify your own rocks.

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

App Store Google Play

Physical properties

Formation & geological history

Formed in hydrothermal veins when hot, mineral-rich fluids circulate through fractures in the Earth's crust, often during orogenic (mountain-building) events. Most significant deposits range from Precambrian to Cenozoic.

Uses & applications

Primary source for industrial gold production, jewelry, electronics, and highly prized by mineral collectors as 'specimen gold'.

Geological facts

Quartz is the most common host mineral for gold. Historically, 'Quartz Mining' refers to lode mining where the host rock must be crushed to extract the precious metal, unlike placer mining in rivers.

Field identification & locations

Identify by looking for high-density metallic yellow flecks that do not shatter when poked with a needle (unlike pyrite) within translucent or white quartz veins. Common in California, Alaska, Australia, and South Africa.

Other mineral specimens

See all

Sandstone (with potential mineral staining/concretions)

Arenite (SiO2 based)

sedimentary

Schist

Metamorphic

Epidote

Epidote | Ca2(Al2,Fe3+)(SiO4)(Si2O7)O(OH)

metamorphic

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