How to identify Red Quartz

To correctly identify Red Quartz (Quartz (SiO2) with Hematite inclusions), 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

   Ranges from pale pinkish-red to deep reddish-brown, often with a cloudy or opaque appearance due to hematite inclusions. The color can be uniform or patchy.

2. 2

   Luster

   How the surface reflects light: metallic, vitreous, dull

   Vitreous (glassy) to dull, depending on the density and nature of the hematite inclusions and the crystal faces.

3. 3

   Texture

   Grain size and surface feel: coarse, fine, glassy

   Smooth to slightly granular, depending on the crystal habit and presence of external hematite coatings.

4. 4

   Crystal Form

   Shape of visible crystals or crystal faces

   Typically forms as hexagonal prisms terminated by rhombohedral faces. Can also occur as massive, granular, or druzy aggregates. Hematite inclusions may form phantom crystals or distinct layers within the quartz.

5. 5

   Cleavage

   How it breaks: flat cleavage planes vs irregular fracture

   None (lacks cleavage).

6. 6

   Geological Environment

   The rock formation and setting where it occurs

   Hydrothermal veins, pegmatites, metamorphic rocks, and sedimentary environments where quartz crystallizes in the presence of iron oxides. Often found in association with other iron-rich minerals.

Key Facts

Hardness

7 on the Mohs scale (due to quartz)

Specific Gravity

2.65 - 2.69 (slightly higher than pure quartz due to hematite)

Crystal System

Trigonal

Color

Red, reddish-brown, pinkish-red

Luster

Vitreous to dull

Transparency

Transparent to opaque, depending on the density of inclusions

Fracture

Conchoidal

Cleavage

None

Composition

Silicon dioxide (SiO2) with iron oxide (Fe2O3) inclusions

Physical characteristics

• Crystal Habit: Prismatic hexagonal crystals, massive, granular, druzy
• Cleavage Type: None
• Fracture Type: Conchoidal
• Tenacity: Brittle
• Luster Type: Vitreous (glassy) to dull

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