How to identify Strawberry Quartz

To correctly identify Strawberry Quartz (Quartz (SiO2) with inclusions of hematite or goethite), 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

   Pink, red, or orange, often with visible specks or needles of red/brown inclusions. The color is due to internal inclusions, not the quartz itself.

2. 2

   Luster

   How the surface reflects light: metallic, vitreous, dull

   Vitreous (glassy) to greasy on fractured surfaces.

3. 3

   Texture

   Grain size and surface feel: coarse, fine, glassy

   Smooth when polished; rough to granular on unpolished surfaces, depending on crystal habit.

4. 4

   Crystal Form

   Shape of visible crystals or crystal faces

   Typically occurs as prismatic hexagonal crystals, often terminated, or in massive, anhedral forms. Inclusions are visible within the quartz matrix.

5. 5

   Cleavage

   How it breaks: flat cleavage planes vs irregular fracture

   None. Quartz exhibits conchoidal fracture.

6. 6

   Geological Environment

   The rock formation and setting where it occurs

   Hydrothermal veins, pegmatites, and vugs within igneous and metamorphic rocks. It is found in environments where silica-rich fluids interact with iron-bearing minerals, leading to the co-precipitation or inclusion of iron oxides during quartz growth.

Key Facts

Hardness

7 (Mohs scale)

Specific Gravity

2.65 g/cm³

Crystal System

Trigonal

Color

Colorless to white quartz with pink, red, or orange inclusions.

Luster

Vitreous

Transparency

Transparent to translucent

Fracture

Conchoidal

Cleavage

None

Composition

Silicon dioxide (SiO2) with inclusions of hematite (Fe2O3) or goethite (FeO(OH)).

Physical characteristics

• Crystal Habit: Prismatic hexagonal crystals, often terminated; also massive, granular, or cryptocrystalline aggregates.
• Cleavage Type: None (lacks cleavage planes).
• Fracture Type: Conchoidal (shell-like, curved fractures).
• Tenacity: Brittle.
• Luster Type: Vitreous (glassy) on crystal faces and fresh fractures; sometimes greasy on massive varieties.

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