The most common and most likely answer to this crossword clue is the 6 letter word QUARTZ
I've seen this crossword clue in The Guardian
Q
U
A
R
T
Z
More clues leading to the result QUARTZ
- After a couple of pints, Zoe loses old English gemstone
- Mineral: at least four pints spoken of?
- Hard stuff requiring skill to take one’s place in knowledge test
- It’s Rocky, ordering at least four pints
- Common mineral measures we’re told
- Mineral measures announced
- Question skill with unknown mineral
- Mineral primarily a compound of 13, reduced by measure unknown
- Rock as a result of a couple of pints with a character at the end
- Queen gets tzar’s collection of crystal
Buddy explains!
The straight part
We know that "Mineral" is the straight/definition part of the clue. The straight part is often a synonym or definition, in this case mineral = quartz.The cryptic/wordplay part
In cryptic crossword there's often an wordplay/cryptic part as well.This part involves a more complex hint, such as an anagram, homophone, hidden word, etc.
Sadly, We don't have an explanation for this specific crossword clue yet.
What does QUARTZ mean?
QUARTZ noun- The most abundant mineral on the earth's surface, of chemical composition silicon dioxide, SiO2. It occurs in a variety of forms, both crystalline and amorphous. Found in every environment.