mineral

White Quartz Pebble

Quartz (Silicon Dioxide, SiO2)

Hardness: 7 on Mohs scale; Color: Milky white to translucent; Luster: Vitreous (glassy) to waxy when water-worn; Crystal structure: Trigonal/Hexagonal; Cleavage: None (conchoidal fracture); Specific gravity: 2.65.

Hardness: 7 on Mohs scale
Color: Milky white to translucent
Luster: Vitreous (glassy) to waxy when water-worn

Identified February 15, 2026More mineral →

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Physical properties

Formation & geological history

Formed from silica-rich hydrothermal veins or within igneous and metamorphic rocks. This specific specimen has been chemically and mechanically weathered, likely tumbled in a river or coastal environment, giving it its rounded, smooth shape.

Uses & applications

Used in construction (as aggregate), glassmaking, watch oscillators, and as decorative garden stones or aquarium gravel. Polished versions are common in beginner rock collections.

Geological facts

Quartz is the second most abundant mineral in Earth's continental crust. Milky quartz gets its white, opaque appearance from tiny fluid inclusions of gas or liquid trapped during crystal growth.

Field identification & locations

Identify in the field by its hardness (it will scratch glass and pocket knife steel) and its lack of cleavage. It is ubiquitous globally, commonly found in river beds, beaches, and mountain trails.

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