mineral
Quartz (River Stone)
Silicon Dioxide (SiO2)
Hardness: 7 on the Mohs scale; Color: Milky white to tan; Luster: Vitreous to waxy (when weathered); Crystal structure: Trigonal; Cleavage: None/Conchoidal fracture.
- Hardness
- 7 on the Mohs scale
- Color
- Milky white to tan
- Luster
- Vitreous to waxy (when weathered)
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Physical properties
Hardness: 7 on the Mohs scale; Color: Milky white to tan; Luster: Vitreous to waxy (when weathered); Crystal structure: Trigonal; Cleavage: None/Conchoidal fracture.
Formation & geological history
Formed from cooling hydrothermal veins or igneous intrusions. These specific rounded stones were shaped and smoothed by the mechanical erosion of water in a river or stream bed over hundreds to thousands of years.
Uses & applications
Used in landscaping, construction aggregate, glass making, and as a component in electronic quartz oscillators. Smooth specimens are popular for rock tumbling and decorative aquarium use.
Geological facts
Quartz is the second most abundant mineral in Earth's continental crust. Its name comes from the German word 'quarz', which has roots in Slavic meaning 'hard'.
Field identification & locations
Identify by its hardness (it will scratch glass) and lack of cleavage. Commonly found in riverbeds, beaches, and gravel pits worldwide.
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Arenite (SiO2 based)
sedimentary
Schist
Schist
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Epidote
Epidote | Ca2(Al2,Fe3+)(SiO4)(Si2O7)O(OH)
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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
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Green Apatite on Albite
Fluorapatite [Ca5(PO4)3F] on Albite [Na(AlSi3O8)]
mineral