mineral
Milky quartz
Quartz (SiO₂)
AI-generated identification · may be incorrectWhite to cream, opaque and roughly crystalline with a vitreous-to-dull luster; hardness 7 Mohs, trigonal crystal structure, no cleavage, and conchoidal fracture. The specimen is too small and indistinct for confident identification from appearance alone.
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Physical properties
White to cream, opaque and roughly crystalline with a vitreous-to-dull luster; hardness 7 Mohs, trigonal crystal structure, no cleavage, and conchoidal fracture. The specimen is too small and indistinct for confident identification from appearance alone.
Formation & geological history
Quartz commonly crystallizes from silica-rich fluids in veins and pegmatites, or grows in cavities in igneous and metamorphic rocks. Quartz forms across a wide range of geological ages.
Uses & applications
Quartz is used in glassmaking, electronics, abrasives, and as a decorative or collecting mineral; this small, unworked piece has little practical value.
Geological facts
Quartz is one of Earth’s most abundant minerals and is highly resistant to weathering.
Field identification & locations
Check for hardness (it should scratch glass) and a lack of cleavage; common worldwide in veins, pegmatites, and many rocks. Image-based identification is tentative.
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Other mineral specimens
Gneiss or Schist
Gneiss or Mica Schist with Garnet
Metamorphic
Sandstone (with potential mineral staining/concretions)
Arenite (SiO2 based)
sedimentary
Tumbled granite
Granite, a coarse-grained felsic intrusive igneous rock
igneous
Epidote
Epidote | Ca2(Al2,Fe3+)(SiO4)(Si2O7)O(OH)
metamorphic
Pegmatite with Tourmaline and Quartz
Igneous Pegmatite
igneous
Unidentified pink-and-gray mineral or rock specimen
Undetermined; the image is too blurry for reliable identification
mineral