mineral
Milky Quartz with Iron Inclusion
Silicon Dioxide (SiO2)
Hardness: 7 on Mohs scale; Color: White/milky with brown iron oxide staining; Luster: Vitreous to greasy; Crystal Structure: Hexagonal; Specific Gravity: 2.65.
- Hardness
- 7 on Mohs scale
- Color
- White/milky with brown iron oxide staining
- Luster
- Vitreous to greasy
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Physical properties
Hardness: 7 on Mohs scale; Color: White/milky with brown iron oxide staining; Luster: Vitreous to greasy; Crystal Structure: Hexagonal; Specific Gravity: 2.65.
Formation & geological history
Formed in hydrothermal veins or pegmatites where silica-rich fluids cool. The 'milky' appearance is caused by tiny inclusions of gas or liquid trapped during crystal growth. Iron oxide (often limonite or goethite) creates the brown staining.
Uses & applications
Used in the laboratory for glassmaking, sandpaper, and occasionally as common garden or decorative gravel. Milky quartz is also a source of silica for industrial silicon production.
Geological facts
Quartz is the most abundant mineral in the Earth's continental crust. Milky quartz is specifically opaque due to microscopic fluid inclusions trapped since the moment the crystal grew.
Field identification & locations
Look for a glassy white substance that cannot be scratched by a steel pocket knife. Commonly found in riverbeds, beaches, and mountainous regions as veins within host rocks like granite.
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