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:
Dana System
# 75.1.3.1
Strunz Classification
# IV/D.01-10
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
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