mineral

Clear Quartz (Rock Crystal)

Quartz (Silicon Dioxide, SiO2)

Hardness: 7 on the Mohs scale. Color: Colorless and transparent. Luster: Vitreous (glassy). Crystal Structure: Hexagonal (trigonal system). Cleavage: None (conchoidal fracture). Specific Gravity: 2.65.

Hardness: 7 on the Mohs scale
Color: Colorless and transparent
Luster: Vitreous (glassy)

Identified February 9, 2026More mineral →

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Physical properties

Formation & geological history

Formed through the cooling of silica-rich magma or from hydrothermal veins. It is found in all three types of rocks (igneous, metamorphic, and sedimentary) across nearly every geological age.

Uses & applications

Used in electronics (oscillators), optical instruments, glassmaking, and ceramics. In jewelry, it is used for beads, carvings, and as faceted gemstones. It is also highly popular in gemstone collecting and metaphysical communities.

Geological facts

Quartz is the second most abundant mineral in Earth's continental crust. Historically, the Greeks believed clear quartz was ice that had frozen so hard it would never melt, hence the name 'krystallos' (ice).

Field identification & locations

Identify in the field by its 6-sided hexagonal prism shape ending in a pyramid, its ability to scratch glass easily, and its lack of cleavage (it breaks in curved shell-like patterns). Found globally, with major deposits in Brazil and Arkansas, USA.

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