RocksdayBeryl vs Quartz
How to tell them apart
A beryllium silicate behind emerald (green), aquamarine (blue) and morganite (pink). It grows as neat six-sided columns with flat ends.
Photo: Reno Chris at English Wikipedia, Public domain
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 prisms end in points; beryl's ends are usually flat.
Side by side
| Property | Beryl | Quartz |
|---|---|---|
| Type | Mineral | Mineral |
| Mohs hardness | 7.5–8 | 7 |
| Luster | Vitreous | Vitreous |
| Streak | White | White |
| Colors | Green, Blue, Pink, Yellow | Clear, White, Gray |
| Crystal system | Hexagonal | Trigonal |
| Specific gravity | 2.63–2.92 | 2.65 |
| Formula | Be₃Al₂Si₆O₁₈ | SiO₂ |
| Found in | Muzo, Colombia; Minas Gerais, Brazil | Hot Springs, Arkansas; Minas Gerais, Brazil |
Properties that are the same for both are grayed out.
How to identify beryl
- Six-sided columns with flat, not pointed, ends.
- Harder than quartz (7.5–8).
- Glassy, often with lengthwise lines.
- Found in granite pegmatites.
Crystal system: Hexagonal
Full Beryl 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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