How to identify Rainbow Aura Quartz

To correctly identify Rainbow Aura Quartz (SiO2 (coated)), 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

   Vibrant, metallic, iridescent rainbow colors (blues, purples, golds, greens, pinks) on the surface, often with the underlying quartz color visible in less coated areas or fractures.

2. 2

   Luster

   How the surface reflects light: metallic, vitreous, dull

   Metallic to sub-metallic, highly iridescent.

3. 3

   Texture

   Grain size and surface feel: coarse, fine, glassy

   Smooth, glassy surface of the underlying quartz, but the coating can sometimes give a slightly textured feel if applied unevenly.

4. 4

   Crystal Form

   Shape of visible crystals or crystal faces

   Retains the crystal habit of the original quartz, typically hexagonal prisms terminated by rhombohedra. Can be found as single crystals, clusters, or geodes.

5. 5

   Cleavage

   How it breaks: flat cleavage planes vs irregular fracture

   None (conchoidal fracture of quartz).

6. 6

   Geological Environment

   The rock formation and setting where it occurs

   Not found in a geological environment. It is a laboratory-produced material. The base quartz originates from various geological settings, including hydrothermal veins, pegmatites, and igneous and metamorphic rocks.

Key Facts

Hardness

7 on the Mohs scale (of the underlying quartz). The coating is very thin and does not significantly alter the hardness.

Specific Gravity

2.65 g/cm³ (of the underlying quartz). The coating is too thin to affect this significantly.

Crystal System

Trigonal (of the underlying quartz).

Color

Iridescent rainbow colors due to thin-film interference from the metallic coating.

Luster

Metallic to sub-metallic, vitreous where coating is absent.

Transparency

Transparent to translucent (of the underlying quartz, visible through the coating).

Fracture

Conchoidal (of the underlying quartz).

Cleavage

None.

Composition

Silicon dioxide (SiO2) with a surface coating of titanium and niobium (and sometimes other metals like gold or platinum, depending on the specific 'aura' type).

Physical characteristics

• Crystal Habit: Hexagonal prisms terminated by rhombohedra, massive, or granular (reflecting the original quartz).
• Cleavage Type: None.
• Fracture Type: Conchoidal.
• Tenacity: Brittle.
• Luster Type: Metallic to sub-metallic on the coated surface; vitreous on uncoated surfaces.

Explore Rainbow Aura Quartz