metamorphic
Milky Quartz with Chlorite Schist Inclusions
Quartz (SiO2) with Chlorite Group silicates (typically (Mg,Fe)3(Si,Al)4O10(OH)2)
Hardness: 7 (quartz) to 2-3 (schist), Color: White and dark green/grey, Luster: Vitreous to greasy, Structure: Microcrystalline and foliated, Cleavage: None (quartz) to perfect basal (schist inclusions).
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Physical properties
Hardness: 7 (quartz) to 2-3 (schist), Color: White and dark green/grey, Luster: Vitreous to greasy, Structure: Microcrystalline and foliated, Cleavage: None (quartz) to perfect basal (schist inclusions).
Formation & geological history
Formed via hydrothermal activity where silica-rich fluids cooled in fractures of metamorphic host rock, often during orogenic (mountain-building) events. The host schist is often Proterozoic to Phanerozoic in age.
Uses & applications
Used primarily as decorative landscape stone, construction aggregate, and as a collector specimen for its contrast.
Geological facts
This specimen is a 'vein quartz' piece, representing a cross-section of a mineral vein that grew inside a host rock, capturing portions of that host rock inside it.
Field identification & locations
Identify in the field by the high contrast between the hard, translucent white quartz and the softer, darker foliated layers. Found globally in metamorphic terranes such as the Appalachians or the Alps.
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