mineral

Quartz (Clear or Cloudy Quartz)

Silicon Dioxide (SiO2)

Hardness: 7 on Mohs scale; Color: Colorless to white/cloudy; Luster: Vitreous (glassy); Crystal structure: Trigonal/Hexagonal; Cleavage: None (conchoidal fracture); Specific gravity: 2.65

Hardness: 7 on Mohs scale
Color: Colorless to white/cloudy
Luster: Vitreous (glassy)

Identified June 16, 2026More mineral →

Identify your own rocks.

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

App Store Google Play

Physical properties

Hardness: 7 on Mohs scale; Color: Colorless to white/cloudy; Luster: Vitreous (glassy); Crystal structure: Trigonal/Hexagonal; Cleavage: None (conchoidal fracture); Specific gravity: 2.65

Formation & geological history

Formed primarily in igneous rocks like granite or in hydrothermal veins. It crystallizes from silica-rich magma or precipitates from hot watery solutions in rock crevices. It is found in all geological ages.

Uses & applications

Extensively used in glass manufacturing, electronics (due to piezoelectric properties), construction as aggregate, and in its pure forms for jewelry (gemstones) and crystal healing collections.

Geological facts

Quartz is the second most abundant mineral in Earth's continental crust. It is highly resistant to both chemical and physical weathering, which is why it often ends up as the primary component of river and beach sand.

Field identification & locations

Identify in the field by its hardness (it can scratch glass), its glassy luster, and its characteristic curved (conchoidal) fracture surface. It is found worldwide, especially in mountainous regions and riverbeds.

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

Green Apatite on Albite

Fluorapatite [Ca5(PO4)3F] on Albite [Na(AlSi3O8)]

mineral