mineral
Milky Quartz
Silicon Dioxide (SiO2)
Hardness: 7 (Mohs scale); Color: White, opaque, milky; Luster: Vitreous to greasy; Crystal Structure: Hexagonal (Trigonal); Cleavage: None (conchoidal fracture); Specific Gravity: 2.65.
- Hardness
- 7 (Mohs scale)
- Color
- White, opaque, milky
- Luster
- Vitreous to greasy
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Physical properties
Hardness: 7 (Mohs scale); Color: White, opaque, milky; Luster: Vitreous to greasy; Crystal Structure: Hexagonal (Trigonal); Cleavage: None (conchoidal fracture); Specific Gravity: 2.65.
Formation & geological history
Formed in hydrothermal veins and pegmatites. The milky appearance is caused by microscopic inclusions of gas or liquid (fluid inclusions) trapped during crystal growth.
Uses & applications
Used in glassmaking, as an abrasive, in architectural stone, and as common landscaping or decorative garden rock. Higher purity quartz is used in electronics for its piezoelectric properties.
Geological facts
Milky quartz is the most common variety of crystalline quartz. It can sometimes contain small amounts of gold within its structure, leading to the term 'gold quartz' in mining regions.
Field identification & locations
Identified by its white color, inability to be scratched by a steel knife, and lacks cleavage. Commonly found in riverbeds, mountains, and everywhere where quartz-rich veins erode.
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Sandstone (with potential mineral staining/concretions)
Arenite (SiO2 based)
sedimentary
Sandstone with Mineral Veining or Crust
Sedimentary Sandstone (mostly SiO2 with Fe2O3 tinting)
sedimentary
Schist
Schist
Metamorphic
Potassium Feldspar (Orthoclase)
Orthoclase (KAlSi3O8)
mineral
Gypsum (variety Selenite or Alabaster)
Calcium sulfate dihydrate (CaSO4·2H2O)
Mineral
Epidote
Epidote | Ca2(Al2,Fe3+)(SiO4)(Si2O7)O(OH)
metamorphic