mineral
Milky quartz fragment
Quartz (silicon dioxide, SiO₂)
AI-generated identification · may be incorrectTypically white to translucent with a vitreous to sugary luster; hardness 7 Mohs, no cleavage, and conchoidal fracture. The specimen appears coarse-grained or slightly weathered, with a pale tan surface from staining or matrix.
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Physical properties
Typically white to translucent with a vitreous to sugary luster; hardness 7 Mohs, no cleavage, and conchoidal fracture. The specimen appears coarse-grained or slightly weathered, with a pale tan surface from staining or matrix.
Formation & geological history
Quartz crystallizes from silica-rich igneous and hydrothermal fluids and is also common in metamorphic veins and sedimentary rocks. Its exact age and formation environment cannot be determined from the photograph.
Uses & applications
Used extensively in glass, ceramics, abrasives, electronics, and engineered stone; attractive transparent varieties are cut as gemstones. This small rough fragment has mainly collecting or educational value.
Geological facts
Quartz is one of Earth’s most abundant minerals and forms the framework of many granites, sandstones, and veins. Milky opacity commonly results from microscopic fluid inclusions or internal fractures.
Field identification & locations
Identify it by its glassy appearance, lack of cleavage, conchoidal fracture, and ability to scratch ordinary glass; a steel blade will not scratch it. Common worldwide, especially in quartz veins, granites, pegmatites, and metamorphic terrains.
