mineral

Quartz (Microcrystalline/Macro crystalline variety)

Silicon Dioxide (SiO2)

Hardness: 7 on the Mohs scale. Color: White, translucent milky to smoky gray with iron-oxide staining. Luster: Vitreous to waxy. Crystal structure: Trigonal/Hexagonal. Cleavage: None (conchoidal fracture). Specific Gravity: 2.65.

Hardness: 7 on the Mohs scale
Luster: Vitreous to waxy

Identified March 22, 2026More mineral →

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Physical properties

Formation & geological history

Formed through the cooling of silica-rich magma or precipitation from hydrothermal veins. This specimen likely weathered out of a vein and underwent transport, as evidenced by its rounded edges and pitted surface.

Uses & applications

Used widely in manufacturing glass, ceramics, and electronics (due to piezoelectric properties). Varieties like this are most commonly used as crushed stone in construction or as landscape gravel.

Geological facts

Quartz is the second most abundant mineral in Earth's continental crust. It is highly resistant to chemical and physical weathering, which is why it often remains as pebbles long after other minerals have eroded away.

Field identification & locations

Identify in the field by its hardness (it will scratch glass and steel knife blades) and lack of cleavage. Found globally in almost all geological environments, particularly in stream beds and gravel pits.

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