Skip to main content
Library homepage
 

Text Color

Text Size

 

Margin Size

 

Font Type

Enable Dyslexic Font
Geosciences LibreTexts

16.6.1: Chalcedony

( \newcommand{\kernel}{\mathrm{null}\,}\)

Chalcedony
Chemical composition Silicon dioxide SiO2
Crystal system Trigonal
Habit Aggregate
Fracture Conchoidal
Hardness 6.5-7
Refractive index 1.535 - 1.539
Specific gravity 2.60
Lustre Vitreous

Chalcedony is microcrystalline (cryptocrystalline) quartz. The name is often used to encompass all varieties of microcrystalline quartz such as jasper, carnelian, chrysoprase, and bloodstone. The mineral is very abundant and found all over the world. The most common variety is a muted blue-gray tone (unnamed) found in geodes and vugs.


This page titled 16.6.1: Chalcedony is shared under a CC BY-NC-SA 2.5 license and was authored, remixed, and/or curated by gemology via source content that was edited to the style and standards of the LibreTexts platform.

Support Center

How can we help?