
mineral
Yellow Quartz
Silicon Dioxide (SiO2)
Hardness of 7 on the Mohs scale; yellow to golden-brown color; vitreous luster; trigonal crystal system; conchoidal fracture with no true cleavage; specific gravity of 2.65.
Identified More mineral →
Explore Yellow Quartz in the encyclopedia →Identify your own rocks.
Get a report just like this from any photo, free.
Physical properties
Hardness of 7 on the Mohs scale; yellow to golden-brown color; vitreous luster; trigonal crystal system; conchoidal fracture with no true cleavage; specific gravity of 2.65.
Formation & geological history
Forms in igneous, metamorphic, and sedimentary environments. Typically crystallizes from silica-rich hydrothermal solutions or magmas over millions of years.
Uses & applications
Used in jewelry, decorative carvings, spiritual and metaphysical practices, and as mineral specimens for collectors.
Geological facts
Quartz is one of the most abundant minerals in the Earth's continental crust. The yellow color in quartz is often caused by irradiation, trace amounts of iron impurities, or sub-microscopic inclusions.
Field identification & locations
Can be identified by its high hardness (scratches glass), conchoidal fracture, and lack of cleavage. Commonly found in pegmatites, hydrothermal veins, and alluvial gravel deposits worldwide.
More like this
Other mineral specimens
Sandstone (with potential mineral staining/concretions)
Arenite (SiO2 based)
sedimentary
Soil with Mineral Detritus and Quartz Fragments
Regolith / Silicate Mineral Aggregate
sedimentary
Limonite / Goethite (Iron Ore Mineral nodule)
FeO(OH)·nH2O / FeO(OH)
mineral
Schist
Schist
Metamorphic
Septarian Pebble
Septarian nodule / Concretion
sedimentary
Potassium Feldspar (Orthoclase)
Orthoclase (KAlSi3O8)
mineral