
mineral
Milky Quartz
Silicon Dioxide (SiO2)
AI-generated identification · may be incorrectHardness: 7 on Mohs scale; Color: White to translucent; Luster: Vitreous to greasy; Crystal Structure: Hexagonal; Cleavage: None (conchoidal fracture); Specific Gravity: 2.65.
- Hardness
- 7 on Mohs scale
- Color
- White to translucent
- Luster
- Vitreous to greasy
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Physical properties
Hardness: 7 on Mohs scale; Color: White to translucent; Luster: Vitreous to greasy; Crystal Structure: Hexagonal; Cleavage: None (conchoidal fracture); Specific Gravity: 2.65.
Formation & geological history
Formed from silica-rich hydrothermal solutions or cooling magma in igneous veins. It is found in all geological ages and environments, particularly in granite pegmatites and metamorphic rocks.
Uses & applications
Used as a source of silica for glassmaking, as an abrasive, in electronics for its piezoelectric properties, and as a decorative landscaping stone or gemstone for collectors.
Geological facts
Milky Quartz gets its white color from microscopic inclusions of fluids (liquid or gas) trapped within the crystal as it grew. It is one of the most abundant minerals on Earth's crust.
Field identification & locations
Identify in the field by its white color, its inability to be scratched by a steel knife, and its lack of cleavage plane surfaces. It often appears as veins in darker host rocks.
More like this
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