RocksdayAlbite vs Quartz
How to tell them apart
The sodium-rich plagioclase feldspar. In pegmatites it forms white platy crystals that often host tourmaline and other gems.
Photo: Rock Currier, CC BY 3.0
The second most abundant mineral in Earth's crust. Clear crystals grow as six-sided prisms capped by a pointed termination, and quartz shows up as grains in sand, granite and countless other rocks.
Photo: Didier Descouens, CC BY-SA 4.0
Key differences
- Quartz has no cleavage and is a bit harder.
Side by side
| Property | Albite | Quartz |
|---|---|---|
| Type | Mineral | Mineral |
| Mohs hardness | 6–6.5 | 7 |
| Luster | Vitreous to pearly | Vitreous |
| Streak | White | White |
| Colors | White, Clear | Clear, White, Gray |
| Crystal system | Triclinic | Trigonal |
| Specific gravity | 2.6–2.65 | 2.65 |
| Formula | NaAlSi₃O₈ | SiO₂ |
| Found in | Minas Gerais, Brazil; Gilgit-Baltistan, Pakistan | Hot Springs, Arkansas; Minas Gerais, Brazil |
Properties that are the same for both are grayed out.
How to identify albite
- White, platy or bladed crystals.
- Fine parallel striations on cleavage faces.
- Hardness about 6.
Crystal system: Triclinic
Full Albite guide →How to identify quartz
- Scratches glass easily and can't be scratched by a steel knife.
- Six-sided prisms with pointed ends when it forms crystals.
- Breaks with curved, shell-like (conchoidal) fractures — no flat cleavage planes.
- Does not fizz in vinegar or dilute acid.
Crystal system: Trigonal
Full Quartz guide →More comparisons
Could you tell them apart from a blurry close-up?
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