mineral
Milky Quartz
Silicon Dioxide (SiO2)
Hardness: 7 (Mohs scale), Color: White to translucent/cloudy, 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/cloudy, Luster: Vitreous to greasy, Crystal Structure: Trigonal/Hexagonal, Cleavage: None (conchoidal fracture), Specific Gravity: 2.65
Formation & geological history
Formed in igneous or metamorphic environments when silica-rich hydrothermal solutions or gas-charged magma cool or enter cracks in existing rock to form veins.
Uses & applications
Used as an abrasive in industry, in the production of glass, ceramics, and semiconductors, and as a popular specimen for beginner collectors or in decorative landscaping.
Geological facts
Milky quartz gets its cloudy appearance from minute fluid inclusions of gas or liquid trapped during the crystal's growth. It is the most common variety of crystalline quartz.
Field identification & locations
Identify by its hardness (scratches glass), lack of cleavage, and waxy/vitreous luster. Found globally in quartz veins, pegmatites, and as rounded pebbles in stream beds.
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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)]
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Epidote
Epidote - Ca2(Al2,Fe3+)3(SiO4)3(OH)
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