mineral

Cloudy Quartz / Quartz Tumble

Silicon Dioxide (SiO2)

Hardness: 7 on Mohs scale. Color: Translucent white to lavender/greyish. Luster: Vitreous/Glassy. Crystal Structure: Hexagonal (trigonal). Cleavage: None (conchoidal fracture). Specific Gravity: 2.65.

Hardness: 7 on Mohs scale
Color: Translucent white to lavender/greyish
Luster: Vitreous/Glassy

Identified March 22, 2026More mineral →

Identify your own rocks.

Get a report just like this from any photo, free.

App Store Google Play

Physical properties

Formation & geological history

Formed from the crystallization of silica-rich magma or via hydrothermal activity in veins. Quartz is found in almost all geological ages and environments, particularly in igneous and metamorphic rocks.

Uses & applications

Commonly used in crystal healing, home decor, and tumbled for beginner geology collections. High-purity quartz is used in glassmaking and electronics (piezoelectric properties).

Geological facts

Quartz is the second most abundant mineral in Earth's continental crust. When purple, it is called Amethyst, and when milky white, it is called Milky Quartz; the specimen in the image appears to be a tumbled fragment of translucent quartz with some light scattering.

Field identification & locations

Identify in the field by its hardness (will scratch glass), lack of cleavage, and vitreous luster. Commonly found worldwide in riverbeds, mountains, and mines. Collectors often find these as 'pocket stones.'

Other mineral specimens

See all

Sandstone (with potential mineral staining/concretions)

Arenite (SiO2 based)

sedimentary

Epidote

Epidote | Ca2(Al2,Fe3+)(SiO4)(Si2O7)O(OH)

metamorphic

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

Epidote

Epidote - Ca2(Al2,Fe3+)3(SiO4)3(OH)

mineral