SiO₂

Quartz is part of common mineral species at Mont Saint-Hilaire and is widespread amongst the different environments. It does present some fluorescent zones; bright yellow under SW and LW.

PHYSICAL CHARACTERISTICS:

Color varies from colorless, gray, brown and black.
Luster is vitreous.
Diaphaneity is transparent to translucent to opaque.
Crystal System is hexagonal; P3₁2.
Crystal Habits include prismatic and equant crystals to 20cm;
very rarely as Japan-law twins, scepters are fairly common.
Cleavage {101} is distinct.
Fracture is conchoidal to subconchoidal.
Hardness is 7.
Specific Gravity is approximately 2.65 g/cm³.
Streak is white.
Associated Minerals include aegirine, albite, amphibole group,
apophyllite series, bastnäsite, brookite, calcite, cordylite, elpidite,
lorenzenite, microcline, narsarsukite and pectolite.
Distinguishing Features: Crystal habit.
Origin: Known since antiquity, the origins of the name are uncertain,
possibly from the German quarz, hard, itself of uncertain derivation.

CLASSIFICATION:

REFERENCES:
MinRec 21:331 (1990), Dana 8:1573-1586 (1997)

DISTRIBUTION AND RARITY AT MONT SAINT-HILAIRE:

MSH          PE          AP          MX          SS           MC          HF           BR          SX          FR
¤¤¤            —             ¤¤           ¤¤           —             ¤¤           ¤¤           ¤¤            —             —  

Legend