mineral
Milky Quartz Cluster
Silicon Dioxide (SiO2)
Hardness: 7 on Mohs scale. Color: Milky white to translucent pale beige with iron oxide staining. Luster: Vitreous to greasy. Crystal Structure: Hexagonal (trigonal). Cleavage: None (conchoidal fracture). Specific Gravity: 2.65.
- Hardness
- 7 on Mohs scale
- Luster
- Vitreous to greasy
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Physical properties
Hardness: 7 on Mohs scale. Color: Milky white to translucent pale beige with iron oxide staining. Luster: Vitreous to greasy. Crystal Structure: Hexagonal (trigonal). Cleavage: None (conchoidal fracture). Specific Gravity: 2.65.
Formation & geological history
Formed in hydrothermal veins and pegmatites through precipitation of silica-rich fluids in cavities and fractures under heat and pressure over millions of years.
Uses & applications
Used in electronics (piezoelectric applications), glassmaking, abrasives, gemstones, decorative specimens, and mineral collections.
Geological facts
Quartz is the second most abundant mineral in Earth's continental crust. The white, cloudy appearance of milky quartz is caused by millions of tiny gas or liquid bubbles trapped during crystal growth.
Field identification & locations
Identified in the field by its hardness (scratches glass easily), lack of cleavage, milky translucency, and hexagonal prismatic crystal terminations. Widely distributed worldwide in granitic pegmatites and quartz veins.
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