mineral
Milky Quartz
Silicon Dioxide (SiO2)
AI-generated identification · may be incorrectHardness: 7 on Mohs scale; Color: Opaque white to translucent waxy; Luster: Vitreous to greasy; Crystal Structure: Hexagonal (trigonal); Cleavage: Indistinct/Conchoidal fracture; Specific Gravity: 2.65.
- Hardness
- 7 on Mohs scale
- Color
- Opaque white to translucent waxy
- Luster
- Vitreous to greasy
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Physical properties
Hardness: 7 on Mohs scale; Color: Opaque white to translucent waxy; Luster: Vitreous to greasy; Crystal Structure: Hexagonal (trigonal); Cleavage: Indistinct/Conchoidal fracture; Specific Gravity: 2.65.
Formation & geological history
Formed through the crystallization of silica-rich hydrothermal solutions or within igneous pegmatites. The milky appearance is caused by tiny fluid inclusions (gas or liquid) trapped during crystal growth.
Uses & applications
Used as an abrasive, in glass making, as a source for silicon, in landscaping, and as a popular specimen for beginner mineral collectors.
Geological facts
Milky quartz is the most common variety of crystalline quartz. It can often be found in gold-bearing quartz veins, making it a common indicator for gold prospectors.
Field identification & locations
Identify by its ability to scratch glass and its lack of clear cleavage planes. It is ubiquitous in mountainous regions, riverbeds, and as veins in metamorphic and igneous rocks.
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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
Granite
Granite (Phaneritic intrusive igneous rock)
igneous