Phantom Quartz
Image: <a href="//commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/User:Archaeodontosaurus" title="User:Archaeodontosaurus">Didier Descouens</a> (CC BY-SA 3.0)
Mineral NamePhantom Quartz
Chemical FormulaSiO2
Mohs Hardness7
Crystal Systemtrigonal
Lustervitreous
Streak Colorwhite
Cleavagenone
Fractureconchoidal
Specific Gravity2.65
Colorscolorless, white, light brown, light purple
Transparencytransparent
Type LocalityMinas Gerais, Brazil
Mineral GroupSilicates
Usesjewelry, collector, metaphysical
Associated Mineralsfeldspar, mica, tourmaline, chlorite
Rarityuncommon
Description
A clear, prismatic quartz crystal featuring a distinct internal 'phantom' or 'ghost' inclusion, which is a lighter, often milky or cloudy, outline of an earlier growth phase within the crystal.
Geological Context
Phantom quartz forms when the growth of a quartz crystal is temporarily halted, allowing a layer of other minerals (like chlorite or clay) or micro-inclusions to deposit on its faces, before growth resumes, encapsulating the earlier crystal form.
