mineral
Milky Quartz Pebble (Vein Quartz)
Silicon Dioxide (SiO2)
AI-generated identification · may be incorrectHardness: 7 on the Mohs scale; Color: milky white to pale grey with slight weathering iron stains; Luster: vitreous to waxy/greasy; Crystal structure: Trigonal; Cleavage: none (conchoidal to uneven fracture); Specific gravity: ~2.65.
- Hardness
- 7 on the Mohs scale
- Color
- milky white to pale grey with slight weathering iron stains
- Luster
- vitreous to waxy/greasy
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Physical properties
Hardness: 7 on the Mohs scale; Color: milky white to pale grey with slight weathering iron stains; Luster: vitreous to waxy/greasy; Crystal structure: Trigonal; Cleavage: none (conchoidal to uneven fracture); Specific gravity: ~2.65.
Formation & geological history
Formed primarily by hydrothermal precipitation in underground veins or pegmatites where silica-rich fluids cooled; often eroded out of host bedrock and smoothed into a rounded pebble by fluvial or coastal wave action.
Uses & applications
Commonly used as decorative landscape stone, aggregate, in tumbled stone collections, and when pure, as a raw source of silicon for glass and electronics manufacturing.
Geological facts
Milky quartz gets its opaque white appearance from countless microscopic fluid inclusions (tiny gas and liquid bubbles) trapped inside during crystallization millions of years ago.
Field identification & locations
Can be identified in the field by its distinct whiteness, inability to be scratched by a steel nail (hardness 7), lack of cleavage, and resistance to acid. Abundant globally in riverbeds, gravel deposits, and beaches.
