mineral

Milky quartz (rough quartz fragment)

Quartz, silicon dioxide (SiO₂)

AI-generated identification · may be incorrect

White to cream, translucent, and vitreous to waxy; likely Mohs hardness 7, no cleavage, and conchoidal fracture. The irregular mass lacks obvious crystal faces and may contain iron-oxide staining or minor feldspar inclusions; specific gravity is about 2.65.

Identified September 1, 2026More mineral →

Explore Milky quartz (rough quartz fragment) in the encyclopedia →

Identify your own rocks.

Get a report just like this from any photo, free.

App Store Google Play

Physical properties

Formation & geological history

Usually forms when silica-rich hydrothermal fluids fill fractures, or in quartz veins and pegmatites, commonly during igneous or metamorphic activity. Its exact geological age and locality cannot be determined from the photograph.

Uses & applications

Used for glass, ceramics, abrasives, engineered stone, and as a specimen or lapidary material; attractive translucent pieces may be polished, though this fragment appears ordinary.

Geological facts

Milky appearance results from microscopic fluid inclusions, fractures, or inclusions scattering light. Quartz is one of Earth’s most abundant and chemically resistant minerals.

Field identification & locations

Common in quartz veins, granite-related pegmatites, metamorphic rocks, and alluvial gravels worldwide. A glass-scratch test and lack of cleavage support quartz identification, while calcite would fizz in dilute acid and scratch much more easily.