How to identify Blue Smelt Quartz

To correctly identify Blue Smelt Quartz (Artificially colored quartz), check each of these features in order. Many rocks and minerals look alike, so cross-reference multiple properties before deciding.

Step-by-step identification

1. 1

   Color

   Overall color and any zoning or banding

   Typically a very uniform, often intense blue. May show streaks or swirls of darker or lighter blue, or even white, due to uneven distribution of the coloring agent or trapped air bubbles. The color is often 'too perfect' or unnaturally vibrant compared to natural blue minerals.

2. 2

   Luster

   How the surface reflects light: metallic, vitreous, dull

   Vitreous (glassy).

3. 3

   Texture

   Grain size and surface feel: coarse, fine, glassy

   Smooth to the touch when polished. Fracture surfaces will be conchoidal and sharp.

4. 4

   Crystal Form

   Shape of visible crystals or crystal faces

   Does not exhibit natural crystal forms. It is typically found as tumbled stones, beads, cabochons, or carved objects. Internal features like bubbles or flow lines are common.

5. 5

   Cleavage

   How it breaks: flat cleavage planes vs irregular fracture

   None. Exhibits conchoidal fracture.

6. 6

   Geological Environment

   The rock formation and setting where it occurs

   Not found in natural geological environments. It is a manufactured product.

Key Facts

Hardness

Approximately 7 on the Mohs scale (due to its quartz base).

Specific Gravity

Approximately 2.65 g/cm³ (similar to natural quartz).

Crystal System

None (amorphous or polycrystalline, depending on cooling, but not naturally crystalline in form).

Color

Various shades of blue, often intense and uniform, sometimes with internal swirls or bubbles.

Luster

Vitreous.

Transparency

Transparent to translucent.

Fracture

Conchoidal.

Cleavage

None.

Composition

Primarily Silicon Dioxide (SiO2) with added coloring agents (e.g., cobalt compounds).

Physical characteristics

• Crystal Habit: Massive, amorphous, or granular; never naturally euhedral crystals.
• Cleavage Type: None.
• Fracture Type: Conchoidal.
• Tenacity: Brittle.
• Luster Type: Vitreous.

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