mineral

Milky Quartz Pebble

Silicon Dioxide (SiO2)

Hardness 7 on Mohs scale, milky white to translucent off-white color, vitreous to greasy luster, hexagonal crystal system (though water-worn into a rounded pebble form), conchoidal fracture, specific gravity 2.65.

Identified July 24, 2026More mineral →

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Physical properties

Formation & geological history

Formed in hydrothermal veins and igneous pegmatites. The pebble shape developed through mechanical weathering and erosion by water transport in rivers or ocean shores over time.

Uses & applications

Commonly collected as beach stones, used in landscaping, crushed for industrial silica glass production, or used as inexpensive decorative stones and lapidary practice.

Geological facts

Quartz is one of the most abundant minerals in Earth's continental crust. Milky quartz gets its cloudy white appearance from tiny fluid inclusions trapped during the mineral's growth millions of years ago.

Field identification & locations

Identified by its scratch resistance (scratches glass easily, cannot be scratched by a steel knife), lack of cleavage, and typical rounded waxy-to-glassy pebble texture. Very common globally along rivers, beaches, and gravel deposits.