mineral
Milky Quartz Boulder
Quartz (Silicon Dioxide, SiO2)
Hardness: 7 on Mohs scale; Color: White to cloudy (milky) due to fluid and gas inclusions; Luster: Vitreous to greasy; Crystal Structure: Trigonal/Hexagonal; Cleavage: None (conchoidal fracture); Specific Gravity: 2.65
- Hardness
- 7 on Mohs scale
- Color
- White to cloudy (milky) due to fluid and gas inclusions
- Luster
- Vitreous to greasy
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Physical properties
Hardness: 7 on Mohs scale; Color: White to cloudy (milky) due to fluid and gas inclusions; Luster: Vitreous to greasy; Crystal Structure: Trigonal/Hexagonal; Cleavage: None (conchoidal fracture); Specific Gravity: 2.65
Formation & geological history
Formed from hydrothermal solutions or cooling magma in veins and pegmatites. This specimen likely weathered out of a larger vein and became a ground-clast or glacial erratic.
Uses & applications
Industrial use as a source of silicon, construction aggregate, landscaping, or as a decorative specimen for gardens.
Geological facts
Milky quartz is the most common variety of crystalline quartz. Its white color comes from minute fluid inclusions of gas or liquid trapped during crystal growth.
Field identification & locations
Identified by its white color, hardness (it will scratch glass), and lack of cleavage. Often found in soil as glacial erratics or eroded from nearby bedrock veins.
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