mineral
Milky Quartz Pebble (Beach Agate / Quartz)
Silicon Dioxide (SiO2)
Mohs hardness of 7, vitreous to waxy luster, trigonal crystal system, conchoidal fracture, white to translucent grayish-yellow pale body color. Smooth and rounded pebble shape due to natural wave erosion.
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Physical properties
Mohs hardness of 7, vitreous to waxy luster, trigonal crystal system, conchoidal fracture, white to translucent grayish-yellow pale body color. Smooth and rounded pebble shape due to natural wave erosion.
Formation & geological history
Formed in hydrothermal veins, pegmatites, or igneous intrusions, then weathered and transported by river or ocean currents, naturally tumbled and smoothed on beaches over thousands of years.
Uses & applications
Used in beachcombing collections, tumbled lapidary work, decorative rock gardens, and historically for glassmaking and quartz crystal electronics when purified.
Geological facts
Beach-tumbled quartz pebbles often look semi-translucent when wet and acquire a smooth, frosted sheen when dry. They are one of the most durable and abundant mineral specimens found on gravel coastlines worldwide.
Field identification & locations
Identified by its high hardness (scratches glass easily), lack of cleavage, rounded eroded surface, and translucency when held to a light source. Very common along coastal beaches, gravel pits, and riverbeds.
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