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Quartz (SiO2) NS1263.10 |
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| Crystal system | hexagonal. |
| Habit | hexagonal crystals that are prismatic and are terminated by rhombohedrons; can also be double sided pyramids; also massive, stalactitic, granular and exists as sand; twinning is common. |
| Cleavage | none. |
| Fracture | conchoidal. |
| Hardness | 7 |
| Specific Gravity | 2.6 |
| Color | colorless, white, gray, yellow, purple, violet, pink brown and black. |
| Luster | vitreous and occasionally greasy or waxy. |
| Streak | white |
| Distinguishing features | luster, fracture and high hardness are very characteristic. |
| Uses | important industrial mineral; sand is used in the glass industry and quartz crystals themselves are used in electronics as oscillators like those used in radios and watches. |
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