mineral

Milky Quartz

Silicon Dioxide (SiO2)

Hardness: 7 on Mohs scale; Color: White to translucent with tan/brown iron staining; Luster: Vitreous to greasy; Crystal Structure: Trigonal/Hexagonal; Cleavage: None (conchoidal fracture); Specific Gravity: 2.65

Hardness: 7 on Mohs scale
Color: White to translucent with tan/brown iron staining
Luster: Vitreous to greasy

Identified May 29, 2026More mineral →

Identify your own rocks.

Get a report just like this from any photo, free.

App Store Google Play

Physical properties

Formation & geological history

Forms from the cooling of silica-rich hydrothermal veins or within igneous pegmatites. It can be found in rocks from virtually all geological periods.

Uses & applications

Used in glass making, as an abrasive, in the electronics industry for its piezoelectric properties, and as a common landscape or decorative stone.

Geological facts

The cloudy white appearance is caused by tiny inclusions of gas or liquid trapped during the crystal's initial formation. Is the most common variety of crystalline quartz.

Field identification & locations

Identify by its hardness (scratches glass), waxy/glassy luster, and lack of cleavage. Very common in gravel pits, beaches, and mountain outcrops globally.