QUARTZ

Quartz, a silicon dioxide mineral, is uncommon at both Franklin and Sterling Hill. It was originally noted by Vanuxem and Keating (1822b), and crystals were described by Palache (1928a, 1935). Although found abundantly in the microcline pegmatites which cut the orebody at Franklin and occurring in moderate amounts in the local rocks, especially in the gneisses, quartz is generally quite rare in the orebodies, even in silicate assemblages which are devoid of ore.
Crystals, to the extent known, are of common habit, except those figured by Palache (1928a, 1935). Frondel (1972) and Palache (1935) discussed the cryptocrystalline varieties, which are of trivial significance. Quartz is generally white to colorless, but may be stained by impurities; to cite one example, an apparent gray-blue color is caused by inclusions of magnesioriebeckite. Quartz has a vitreous luster, conchoidal fracture, and a density of 2.65 g/cm³. Large masses up to 30 cm are known but rare.
The best quartz specimens are of the prismatic, elongate, twisted crystals described by Palache (1935) as occurring with hematite and magnesioriebeckite. Superb, prismatic quartz crystals are also found in this assemblage. Equant, 1 cm crystals have been found associated with a chevron-like intergrowth of garnet and calcite and separately with talc, both from Franklin. Fine crystals were reported and illustrated from vugs in the Buckwheat Dolomite by Peters et al. (1983); some crystals are up to 2.5 cm in length, but most are small. Massive material is found associated with the notable bannisterite assemblage. Quartz occurs less commonly with massive rhodonite. Additionally, it is found as druses in vugs and veinlets and in sulfide assemblages at Sterling Hill (Jenkins and Misiur, 1994), and it is found as chert segregations up to 20 cm thick in the Kittatinny Limestone. (Dunn, 1995)

Location Found:

Franklin and Ogdensburg

Formula:

SiO₂

Essential Elements:

Oxygen, Silicon

All Elements in Formula:

Oxygen, Silicon

IMA Status:

Valid - first described prior to 1959 (pre-IMA) - "Grandfathered"

Fluorescent Mineral Properties

Shortwave UV light:

Moderately bright to weak cream, yellow, pale orange, and yellowish green

Mid wave UV light:

Bright to weak cream, yellow, pale orange, and yellowish green

Longwave UV light:

Weak cream, yellow, pale orange, and yellowish green

To find out more about this mineral at minDat's website, follow this link Quartz

References:

Dunn, Pete J. (1995). Franklin and Sterling Hill New Jersey: the world's most magnificent mineral deposits. Franklin, NJ.: The Franklin-Ogdensburg Mineralogical Society. p.507

Frondel, Clifford (1972). The minerals of Franklin and Sterling Hill, a checklist. NY.: John Willey & Sons. p.73

The Picking Table References

	PT Issue and Page	Description / Comment
View Issue	V. 58, No. 1 - Spring 2017, pg. 16	Fluorescent Minerals of Franklin and Sterling Hill, N.J., Part 2, Richard C. Bostwick - Quartz
View Issue	V. 41, No. 1 - Spring 2000, pg. 14	A Scheelite-bearing Assemblage From Franklin, New Jersey By Robert E. Jenkins II - Quartz (Small Description)
View Issue	V. 35, No. 2 - Fall 1994, pg. 21	A Complex Base-Metal Assemblage From the Sterling Mine New Jersey - Quartz
View Issue	V. 33, No. 2 - Fall 1992, pg. 11	The Check List of Franklin-Sterling Hill Fluorescent Minerals - Quartz (Fluorescent Info)
View Issue	V. 30, No. 1 - Spring 1989, pg. 9	The Epidote-Pyroxene-Fluorapophyllite Assemblage in the Franklin Mine at Franklin, New Jersey, Philip P. Betancourt, Quartz (small description)
View Issue	V. 27 No. 2 - Fall 1986, pg. 7	Minerals of the Franklin Quarry, Philip P. Betancourt, Quartz
View Issue	V. 24 No. 2 - Fall 1983, pg. 15	Minerals of the Buckwheat Dolomite Franklin, New Jersey, Quartz (small description)
View Issue	V. 7, No. 2 - August 1966, pg. 12	The Minerals of Sterling Hill 1962-65 by Frank Z. Edwards - Quartz

Images


Quartz with calcite coating and veins from Sterling Hill, Ogdensburg, NJ. Photo by WP.		Quartz with calcite coating and veins from Sterling Hill, Ogdensburg, NJ under shortwave UV light. The calcite fluoresces red-orange and the quartz is non-fluorescent. Photo by WP.


Quartz (gray), rhodonite (pink), calcite (white), willemite and minor franklinite from Franklin, NJ. From the collection of, and photo by Robert A. Boymistruk.		Quartz, rhodonite, calcite, willemite and minor franklinite from Franklin, NJ under shortwave UV light. The calcite fluoresces orange to orange-red and willemite green, the quartz, rhodonite and franklinite are non-fluorescent. From the collection of, and photo by Robert A. Boymistruk.


Quartz druze (brown and white) on willemite, calcite, franklinite ore from the Sterling Hill Mine, Ogdensburg, NJ. 4" x 3". From the collection of, and photo by JVF.		Quartz druze on willemite, calcite, franklinite ore from the Sterling Hill Mine, Ogdensburg, NJ under shortwave UV light. The quartz fluoresces dark green, calcite red, willemite green, the franklinite is non-fluorescent. 4" x 3". From the collection of, and photo by JVF.