RocksdayQuartz vs Scheelite
How to tell them apart
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
Calcium tungstate — heavy, glassy, and glows bright blue-white under shortwave UV.
Photo: Didier Descouens, CC BY-SA 4.0
Quick tests
- Scratch glass: Quartz scratches glass (Mohs 7); Scheelite can't (Mohs 4.5–5).
- Heft: Scheelite feels noticeably heavier for its size (specific gravity 5.9–6.1 vs 2.65).
Key differences
- Quartz is much lighter and harder.
Side by side
| Property | Quartz | Scheelite |
|---|---|---|
| Type | Mineral | Mineral |
| Mohs hardness | 7 | 4.5–5 |
| Luster | Vitreous | Adamantine to vitreous |
| Streak | White | White |
| Colors | Clear, White, Gray | White, Orange, Yellow, Brown |
| Crystal system | Trigonal | Tetragonal |
| Specific gravity | 2.65 | 5.9–6.1 |
| Formula | SiO₂ | CaWO₄ |
| Found in | Hot Springs, Arkansas; Minas Gerais, Brazil | Felbertal, Austria; Sangdong, South Korea |
Properties that are the same for both are grayed out.
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 →How to identify scheelite
- Surprisingly heavy for a pale mineral.
- Glows bright blue-white in shortwave UV.
- Pyramid-shaped crystals.
Crystal system: Tetragonal
Full Scheelite guide →More comparisons
Could you tell them apart from a blurry close-up?
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