mineral

Milky quartz crystal cluster

Quartz (silicon dioxide, SiO₂)

AI-generated identification · may be incorrect

Hardness 7 Mohs; white to translucent, vitreous to pearly luster, commonly hexagonal crystalline structure, with indistinct cleavage and conchoidal fracture. The specimen appears as a small drusy or microcrystalline quartz-coated fragment.

Identified August 29, 2026More mineral →

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Physical properties

Formation & geological history

Forms when silica-rich hydrothermal fluids or groundwater precipitate quartz in cavities, veins, and geodes; its exact geological age cannot be determined from the image. Milky color results from microscopic fluid inclusions or structural defects.

Uses & applications

Used as an ornamental and lapidary material, in mineral collections, and industrially for glass, ceramics, abrasives, and electronics. This small rough specimen has modest commercial value.

Geological facts

Quartz is one of Earth’s most abundant minerals and is chemically resistant to weathering. Its six-sided crystal habit may be obscured when crystals grow densely as druse.

Field identification & locations

Identify it by its glassy appearance, high hardness, lack of cleavage, and inability to scratch it with a steel knife; it should scratch glass. Common worldwide, especially in hydrothermal veins, geodes, and pegmatites.