mineral

Quartz (Milky or Cloudy Quartz)

Silicon Dioxide (SiO2)

Hardness: 7 (Mohs scale); Color: White to creamy/milky; Luster: Vitreous to greasy; Crystal Structure: Trigonal/Hexagonal; Cleavage: None (conchoidal fracture); Specific Gravity: 2.65

Hardness: 7 (Mohs scale)
Color: White to creamy/milky
Luster: Vitreous to greasy

Identified June 7, 2026More mineral →

Identify your own rocks.

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

App Store Google Play

Physical properties

Hardness: 7 (Mohs scale); Color: White to creamy/milky; Luster: Vitreous to greasy; Crystal Structure: Trigonal/Hexagonal; Cleavage: None (conchoidal fracture); Specific Gravity: 2.65

Formation & geological history

Formed in almost all geological environments, most commonly from cooling magma in hydrothermal veins or as a primary constituent of granites and pegmatites. This specimen likely came from a hydrothermal vein.

Uses & applications

Used in glassmaking, abrasives, electronic oscillators (piezoelectric properties), and as a landscape stone or minor mineral specimen.

Geological facts

Quartz is the second most abundant mineral in Earth's continental crust. Milky quartz gets its characteristic white color from microscopic inclusions of liquid or gas trapped during the crystal's formation.

Field identification & locations

Identified in the field by its hardness (scratches glass), lack of cleavage, and translucent white appearance. Found worldwide in nearly all geological terrains.

Other mineral specimens

See all

Sandstone (with potential mineral staining/concretions)

Arenite (SiO2 based)

sedimentary

Schist

Metamorphic

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

Biotite Schist

Biotite-rich Schist [K(Mg,Fe)3AlSi3O10(F,OH)2]

metamorphic