One of the most common minerals on Earth, quartz is a key component of many rock types. It is prized for its clarity and durability, and is widely used in jewelry, electronics, and as a geological indicator. Color: Colorless, white, purple, pink, brown. Luster: Vitreous. Streak: White. Cleavage: None. Hardness: 7. Transparency: Transparent to opaque. Crystal system: Hexagonal. Chemical formula: SiO₂. Specific gravity: 2.65. Formation: Forms from silica-rich magmas or precipitates from silica-saturated groundwater. Also forms through metamorphism of silica-rich sediments. Common geological settings: Found worldwide in igneous, metamorphic, and sedimentary rocks. Common in pegmatites, hydrothermal veins, and granite. Common look-alikes and related entries: Calcite, Feldspar, Glass.
White minerals — Place this specimen in a broader field-identification workflow.
Quartz vs Calcite — Compare observable properties and safer field tests.
Quartz vs Feldspar — Compare observable properties and safer field tests.
Sources, scope & corrections
These authoritative resources support category-level nomenclature, terminology, identification methods, and safety. When a specimen-specific safety warning appears, the public-health source listed here directly supports that precaution. They are not line-by-line citations for every other property on this entry, and natural specimens vary.
Editorial owner
GeoMiner
Last updated
2026-03-30T14:39:18.464807+00:00
Review status
Published; not independently peer-reviewed
IMA–CNMNC List of Mineral Names — International Mineralogical Association. Official mineral-name, nomenclature, and classification records.
Mineral ID Key — Mineralogical Society of America. Physical-property identification methods, repeat-testing guidance, and limitations.
One of the most common minerals on Earth, quartz is a key component of many rock types. It is prized for its clarity and durability, and is widely used in jewelry, electronics, and as a geological indicator.
How can you identify Quartz?
Compare several properties rather than relying on colour alone. This entry records colour: Colorless, white, purple, pink, brown; lustre: Vitreous; streak: White; Mohs hardness: 7; cleavage: None; crystal system: Hexagonal; transparency: Transparent to opaque. Confirm an important identification with additional field tests or qualified laboratory work.
How does Quartz form?
Forms from silica-rich magmas or precipitates from silica-saturated groundwater. Also forms through metamorphism of silica-rich sediments.
Where is Quartz commonly found?
Found worldwide in igneous, metamorphic, and sedimentary rocks. Common in pegmatites, hydrothermal veins, and granite.
What is Quartz commonly confused with?
Quartz may be confused with Calcite, Feldspar, Glass. Compare multiple diagnostic properties because colour and surface appearance can overlap.
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