RocksdayPhenakite vs Quartz
How to tell them apart
A rare, hard beryllium silicate that looks much like quartz.
Photo: Robert M. Lavinsky, CC BY-SA 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 is softer and lighter in weight.
Side by side
| Property | Phenakite | Quartz |
|---|---|---|
| Type | Mineral | Mineral |
| Mohs hardness | 7.5–8 | 7 |
| Luster | Vitreous | Vitreous |
| Streak | White | White |
| Colors | Clear, White, Yellow | Clear, White, Gray |
| Crystal system | Trigonal | Trigonal |
| Specific gravity | 2.93–3 | 2.65 |
| Formula | Be₂SiO₄ | SiO₂ |
| Found in | Ural Mountains, Russia; Minas Gerais, Brazil | Hot Springs, Arkansas; Minas Gerais, Brazil |
Properties that are the same for both are grayed out.
How to identify phenakite
- Clear, glassy crystals — flat rhombohedral or short prisms.
- Harder than quartz.
- Often twinned into penetrating crystals.
Crystal system: Trigonal
Full Phenakite 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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