mineral

Yellow Quartz River Pebble

Silicon Dioxide (SiO2)

Hardness: 7 (Mohs scale), Color: Yellow to tan with white inclusions, Luster: Waxy or vitreous, Crystal Structure: Trigonal (microcrystalline in this form), Cleavage: None (conchoidal fracture), Specific Gravity: 2.65

Identified March 22, 2026More mineral →

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Physical properties

Formation & geological history

Formed from hydrothermal veins or within metamorphic rocks. This specific specimen has been shaped and smoothed by fluvial (river) erosion over thousands of years, resulting in its rounded, oblong shape.

Uses & applications

Common river stones are used for decorative landscaping, gravel in construction, and balance/meditation stones. High-quality quartz is used in timepiece oscillators and electronics.

Geological facts

Quartz is the second most abundant mineral in Earth's continental crust. Yellow varieties of quartz, when naturally colored by heat or iron inclusions, are often referred to as citrine, though this specimen appears to be a standard iron-stained milky quartz pebble.

Field identification & locations

Identify in the field by its inability to be scratched by a steel knife and its smoothed, rounded surface indicating water transport. Commonly found in riverbeds, glacial tills, and shorelines worldwide.