How to identify Included Quartz
Quartz (SiO2) with inclusions
Got a photo? Identify rocks instantly with the Rockby app
Open the appTo correctly identify Included Quartz (Quartz (SiO2) with 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
Color
Overall color and any zoning or banding
Colorless, white, or any color depending on the quartz variety and the nature of the inclusions. Inclusions themselves can be black (tourmaline), golden (rutile), green (chlorite), red/orange (hematite), etc.
- 2
Luster
How the surface reflects light: metallic, vitreous, dull
Vitreous (glassy) to greasy on fracture surfaces.
- 3
Texture
Grain size and surface feel: coarse, fine, glassy
Typically smooth crystal faces, but can be rough or uneven if inclusions protrude or are abundant near the surface.
- 4
Crystal Form
Shape of visible crystals or crystal faces
Hexagonal prisms terminated by rhombohedral faces are common. Inclusions are visible within the crystal.
- 5
Cleavage
How it breaks: flat cleavage planes vs irregular fracture
None (lacks cleavage).
- 6
Geological Environment
The rock formation and setting where it occurs
Hydrothermal veins, pegmatites, igneous rocks (granites, rhyolites), metamorphic rocks (gneisses, schists), and sedimentary environments (as detrital grains). The specific environment often dictates the type of inclusions present.
Key Facts
- Hardness
- 7 on the Mohs scale.
- Specific Gravity
- 2.65 g/cm³.
- Crystal System
- Trigonal.
- Color
- Colorless, white, or various colors depending on inclusions.
- Luster
- Vitreous.
- Transparency
- Transparent to translucent.
- Fracture
- Conchoidal.
- Cleavage
- None.
- Composition
- Silicon dioxide (SiO2) with various mineral, liquid, or gas inclusions.
Physical characteristics
- Crystal Habit: Prismatic, often terminated by rhombohedral faces; massive, granular.
- Cleavage Type: None.
- Fracture Type: Conchoidal.
- Tenacity: Brittle.
- Luster Type: Vitreous.
Explore Included Quartz
Identify rocks anywhere
Free on iOS, Android, and Web. Photo identification, full database, and your personal collection.