mineral

Milky quartz with iron-oxide staining

Quartz (SiO₂), likely massive milky quartz; minor limonite/goethite staining

AI-generated identification · may be incorrect

White to pale gray, translucent, glassy-to-waxy luster, granular massive texture, no obvious cleavage, Mohs hardness 7, specific gravity about 2.65. Yellow-brown patches are probably iron oxides, with possible minor feldspar or mica inclusions.

Identified August 24, 2026More mineral →

Explore Milky quartz with iron-oxide staining 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

Forms when silica-rich hydrothermal fluids fill fractures or crystallize in igneous and metamorphic rocks; the specimen appears weathered and naturally broken. Quartz is found in rocks ranging from Precambrian to modern hydrothermal settings.

Uses & applications

Common quartz is used in glass, ceramics, abrasives, electronics, and engineered stone; attractive pieces are sold as inexpensive display specimens or lapidary material.

Geological facts

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

Field identification & locations

Identify by its hardness, lack of cleavage, conchoidal fracture, and inability to be scratched by a steel knife; glass may be scratched by quartz. Common worldwide in veins, pegmatites, granite, and metamorphic rocks.