mineral

Milky Quartz

Silicon Dioxide (SiO2)

Hardness: 7 Mohs; Color: White to opaque; Luster: Vitreous/Greasy; Crystal Structure: Hexagonal (trigonal); Cleavage: Indistinct/Conchoidal fracture; Specific Gravity: 2.65

Hardness: 7 Mohs
Color: White to opaque
Luster: Vitreous/Greasy

Identified July 20, 2026More mineral →

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Physical properties

Hardness: 7 Mohs; Color: White to opaque; Luster: Vitreous/Greasy; Crystal Structure: Hexagonal (trigonal); Cleavage: Indistinct/Conchoidal fracture; Specific Gravity: 2.65

Formation & geological history

Forms from the cooling of magma or in hydrothermal veins. The white color is caused by microscopic fluid inclusions of gas or liquid trapped during crystal growth.

Uses & applications

Used in glass making, ceramics, as an abrasive, and frequently as decorative landscaping stone or for metaphysical collecting.

Geological facts

Milky quartz is the most common variety of crystalline quartz. It can sometimes contain minute amounts of gold in hydrothermal vein deposits.

Field identification & locations

Identified by its white color, inability to be scratched by steel, and lack of cleavage (it breaks in curved surfaces). Common in granite pegmatites and metamorphic rocks worldwide.