mineral

Quartz Pebble

Silicon Dioxide (SiO2)

Hardness: 7 (Mohs scale), Color: White/Translucent, Luster: Vitreous to waxy, Crystal structure: Trigonal/Hexagonal (microcrystalline in this form), Cleavage: None (conchoidal fracture), Specific Gravity: 2.65

Identified March 21, 2026More mineral →

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Physical properties

Formation & geological history

Formed from the cooling of silica-rich magma or precipitation from hydrothermal veins. This specific specimen has been chemically and physically weathered, transported by water, and rounded through fluvial or marine erosion over thousands of years.

Uses & applications

Used in glassmaking, electronics (piezoelectric properties), abrasives, and as decorative landscape gravel. Smoothed pebbles are also popular for jewelry wire-wrapping or meditation stones.

Geological facts

Quartz is the second most abundant mineral in Earth's continental crust. This specific rounded shape, known as a 'clast,' indicates a long history of travel in a high-energy water environment like a beach or riverbed.

Field identification & locations

Identify in the field by its inability to be scratched by a steel knife (hardness 7) and its smooth, water-worn surface. Commonly found on beaches, riverbanks, and in glacial till globally.