Quartz
Image: “Jon Zander (<a href="//commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/User:Digon3" title="User:Digon3">Digon3</a>)" (CC BY-SA 3.0)
Mineral NameQuartz
Chemical FormulaSiO2
Mohs Hardness7
Crystal Systemtrigonal
Lustervitreous
Streak Colorwhite
Cleavagenone
Fractureconchoidal
Specific Gravity2.65
Colorsclear, white, grey, pale purple
Transparencytransparent
Type LocalityWorldwide
Mineral GroupSilicates
Usesjewelry, industrial, collector
Associated Mineralsfeldspar, mica, pyrite, calcite
Raritycommon
Description
A cluster of clear to milky white quartz crystals with well-formed, pointed terminations, growing on a light-colored matrix. Some crystals exhibit a very faint pale purple hue, and minor dark and reddish-brown inclusions are visible.
Geological Context
Quartz is a common rock-forming mineral found in igneous, metamorphic, and sedimentary rocks. It often crystallizes from hydrothermal solutions in veins and pegmatites, or as a primary component of granites and sandstones.
