mineral

Milky Quartz with Mica Matrix

SiO2 (Silicon Dioxide) with Muscovite/Biotite mica

Hardness: 7 on Mohs scale (quartz component), Color: Off-white/cloudy to brownish-gold mica coating, Luster: Vitreous to pearly/sub-metallic, Crystal Structure: Trigonal, Cleavage: None in quartz (conchoidal fracture), Perfect basal in mica, Specific Gravity: ~2.65

Identified July 27, 2026More mineral →

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Physical properties

Formation & geological history

Formed in igneous pegmatites or hydrothermal vein deposits where silica-rich fluids cooled slowly, allowing quartz and mica minerals to crystallize together under pressure.

Uses & applications

Used primarily as decorative mineral specimens for collectors, educational samples, and historically as an indicator mineral for precious metals in quartz veins.

Geological facts

Quartz is the second most abundant mineral in Earth's continental crust. Specimens featuring small glittery mica flakes alongside quartz are often mistaken for gold ore ('Fool's Gold' or mica glint).

Field identification & locations

Identify in the field by testing quartz hardness (scratches glass easily) and observing the flaky, shiny glitter of mica on the rough crust. Commonly found in granite pegmatites and metamorphic schists globally.

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