mineral
Milky Quartz
Silicon Dioxide (SiO2)
Hardness: 7 on Mohs scale; Color: White to opaque; Luster: Vitreous to greasy; Crystal Structure: Hexagonal; Specific Gravity: 2.65
- Hardness
- 7 on Mohs scale
- Color
- White to opaque
- Luster
- Vitreous to greasy
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Physical properties
Hardness: 7 on Mohs scale; Color: White to opaque; Luster: Vitreous to greasy; Crystal Structure: Hexagonal; Specific Gravity: 2.65
Formation & geological history
Formed in hydrothermal veins and pegmatites through the cooling of silica-rich solutions in the Earth's crust over millions of years.
Uses & applications
Used in glassmaking, as an abrasive, in electronics for its piezoelectric properties, and as decorative stone or gravel.
Geological facts
Milky quartz gets its cloudy appearance from microscopic inclusions of fluids or gas trapped during the crystal's formation. It is the most common variety of crystalline quartz.
Field identification & locations
Identified by its white color, inability to be scratched by steel, and conchoidal fracture. Commonly found in riverbeds, mountains, and as garden gravel.
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Other mineral specimens
Sandstone (with potential mineral staining/concretions)
Arenite (SiO2 based)
sedimentary
Schist
Schist
Metamorphic
Epidote
Epidote | Ca2(Al2,Fe3+)(SiO4)(Si2O7)O(OH)
metamorphic
Gypsum (variety Selenite or Alabaster)
Calcium sulfate dihydrate (CaSO4·2H2O)
Mineral
Nephrite Jade
Nephrite
Mineral/Rock
Granite
Granite (Phaneritic intrusive igneous rock)
igneous