Mineral / Metamorphic
Quartz / Quartzite
Silicon Dioxide (SiO2)
Hardness: 7 (Mohs scale), Color: White to translucent (milky), Luster: Vitreous to greasy, Crystal structure: Trigonal/Hexagonal, Cleavage: None (conchoidal fracture), Specific Gravity: 2.65
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Physical properties
Hardness: 7 (Mohs scale), Color: White to translucent (milky), Luster: Vitreous to greasy, Crystal structure: Trigonal/Hexagonal, Cleavage: None (conchoidal fracture), Specific Gravity: 2.65
Formation & geological history
Quartz forms in a wide variety of environments including magmatic, hydrothermal, and metamorphic processes. This specimen appears to be 'Milky Quartz' or a weathered piece of quartzite, formed from reorganized silica molecules under heat and pressure.
Uses & applications
Industrial uses include glassmaking, electronics (piezoelectric properties), and abrasives. In construction, it is used as crushed stone or sand. Pure specimens are used for semi-precious jewelry and decor.
Geological facts
Quartz is the second most abundant mineral in Earth's continental crust. 'Milky quartz' gets its white color from tiny fluid inclusions of gas and/or liquid trapped during crystal growth.
Field identification & locations
Identify in the field by its inability to be scratched by a steel knife and its lack of cleavage. It often has a glass-like or waxy appearance and can be found almost everywhere, especially in riverbeds, mountains, and beaches.
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