Quartz is one of the most abundant minerals on Earth, occurring in nearly every geological environment. It is easily identified by its hardness of 7, lack of cleavage, and characteristic glassy luster on crystal faces. Collectors often look for well-formed hexagonal prismatic crystals, which can grow to immense sizes in pegmatite pockets.
Is this quartz?
5-step field checkRun through these checks against the specimen in your hand. The more boxes tick, the more confident the ID.
- 1Test the hardnessTry to scratch quartz with a known reference. Quartz sits at Mohs 7 — softer than the next harder reference, harder than the previous one.
- 2Check the streakDrag the specimen across an unglazed porcelain plate. Quartz leaves a white streak.
- 3Read the lusterHold the specimen under a strong light. Quartz typically shows a vitreous luster.
- 4Match the color rangeCompare against the expected color range: colorless, white, gray, yellow, brown, black, violet, pink.
- 5Look at form & habitCrystal system: trigonal. Typical habit: prismatic crystals with pyramidal terminations, massive, granular.
Often confused with
Quartz vs. its common look-alikes — and how to tell them apart in the field.
Often found alongside quartz
Minerals reported to co-occur with quartz. Spotting these in float or country rock is a strong cue you are in the right ground.
All properties
- Chemical formula
- SiO₂
- Mohs hardness
- 7
- Density
- 2.65 g/cm³
- Streak
- White
- Luster
- Vitreous
- Transparency
- Transparent
- Crystal system
- Trigonal
- Crystal habit
- Prismatic Crystals with Pyramidal Terminations, Massive, Granular
- Cleavage
- None
- Rarity
- Common
- Uses
- Gemstone, Lapidary, Industrial, Collector
- Host rock
- Igneous, Metamorphic, And Sedimentary Rocks
- Typical price
- $5-50 for specimens, higher for specific localities or clear points
Where rockhounds find quartz
445 mapped spotsClassic worldwide localities
- Brazil
- Madagascar
- United States
- Switzerland
- China
U.S. states with quartz
Each link opens a state-specific list of mapped rockhounding spots that produce quartz.
- North Carolina54 spots
- Utah33 spots
- Pennsylvania32 spots
- Virginia28 spots
- Missouri22 spots
- Georgia20 spots
- New Jersey20 spots
- Maine19 spots
Field-hunting tip
Look in igneous, metamorphic, and sedimentary rocks country — that is the host setting where quartz typically forms. If you start seeing feldspar, mica, tourmaline in float, you are in the right ground. Field specimens usually show a prismatic crystals with pyramidal terminations, massive, granular habit, so train your eye for that shape before scanning the outcrop. In the U.S., the densest reported localities are in North Carolina, Utah, Pennsylvania — start trip planning there.
Common questions
How do you identify quartz?+
Where is quartz found?+
Can I find quartz in the United States?+
How much is quartz worth?+
What rocks look like quartz?+
What minerals are found with quartz?+
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What is quartz used for?+
Find quartz on the map
RockHoundR shows mapped rockhounding spots, access rules, and lets you log every find.
