How to identify Titanium Aura Quartz

To correctly identify Titanium Aura Quartz (SiO2 with titanium and niobium coating), 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, multi-colored iridescent sheen, often displaying shades of blue, purple, gold, green, and pink, resembling an oil slick or rainbow. The underlying quartz color may be visible in areas where the coating is thinner or absent.

2. 2

   Luster

   How the surface reflects light: metallic, vitreous, dull

   Strong metallic to sub-metallic, iridescent.

3. 3

   Texture

   Grain size and surface feel: coarse, fine, glassy

   Smooth, glassy feel of quartz, but the coating can sometimes give a slightly different tactile sensation. The surface should be uniform.

4. 4

   Crystal Form

   Shape of visible crystals or crystal faces

   Typically found as hexagonal prisms with pyramidal terminations, characteristic of natural quartz crystals. The coating adheres to the existing crystal faces.

5. 5

   Cleavage

   How it breaks: flat cleavage planes vs irregular fracture

   None (conchoidal fracture characteristic 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 where quartz forms, such as hydrothermal veins, pegmatites, and igneous or metamorphic rocks.

Key Facts

Hardness

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

Specific Gravity

2.65 g/cm³ (of the underlying quartz). The thin coating has negligible effect on overall specific gravity.

Crystal System

Trigonal (of the underlying quartz).

Color

Vibrant, multi-colored iridescent (blue, purple, gold, green, pink).

Luster

Metallic to sub-metallic, iridescent.

Transparency

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

Fracture

Conchoidal (of the underlying quartz).

Cleavage

None.

Composition

SiO2 (quartz) with a surface coating of titanium and niobium (and sometimes other metals).

Physical characteristics

• Crystal Habit: Typically prismatic, often with hexagonal cross-sections and pyramidal terminations, reflecting the original quartz crystal habit.
• Cleavage Type: None.
• Fracture Type: Conchoidal.
• Tenacity: Brittle (of the underlying quartz).
• Luster Type: Metallic to sub-metallic, iridescent.

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