mineral
Milky Quartz
Silicon Dioxide (SiO2)
Hardness: 7 on Mohs scale; Color: Cloudy white to opaque; Luster: Vitreous to greasy; Crystal Structure: Trigonal/Hexagonal; Cleavage: None/Conchoidal fracture; Specific Gravity: 2.65
- Hardness
- 7 on Mohs scale
- Color
- Cloudy white to opaque
- Luster
- Vitreous to greasy
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Physical properties
Hardness: 7 on Mohs scale; Color: Cloudy white to opaque; Luster: Vitreous to greasy; Crystal Structure: Trigonal/Hexagonal; Cleavage: None/Conchoidal fracture; Specific Gravity: 2.65
Formation & geological history
Formed in hydrothermal veins and pegmatites through the cooling of silica-rich solutions and magma. It is found in geological environments ranging from Precambrian to modern times.
Uses & applications
Used in glassmaking, abrasives, electronics (quartz oscillator), and as decorative ornaments or carvings such as the mushroom shown.
Geological facts
Milky quartz gets its cloudy appearance from microscopic inclusions of liquid, gas, or other minerals trapped during crystal growth. It is the most common variety of crystalline quartz.
Field identification & locations
Identify by its white color, inability to be scratched by steel, and lack of cleavage. It is found globally in mountain ranges and riverbeds.
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Arenite (SiO2 based)
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Epidote
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Nephrite Jade
Nephrite
Mineral/Rock
Banded Gneiss (River Rock/Pebble)
Gneiss (specifically a banded variety often found as a river rock)
Metamorphic Rock
![Green Apatite on Albite (Fluorapatite [Ca5(PO4)3F] on Albite [Na(AlSi3O8)]) — mineral](https://media.rockidentification.com/2391a63f-fb20-47d5-af9a-2035851eb32e-thumbnail.jpg)
Green Apatite on Albite
Fluorapatite [Ca5(PO4)3F] on Albite [Na(AlSi3O8)]
mineral