mineral
Quartz Pebble with Iron Staining
Silicon Dioxide (SiO2) with Hematite/Limonite matrix
Mohs hardness of 7, vitreous to dull luster, milky white color with brownish-yellow iron oxide matrix coating and fractures, trigonal crystal system in microcrystalline aggregate, conchoidal to uneven fracture.
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Physical properties
Mohs hardness of 7, vitreous to dull luster, milky white color with brownish-yellow iron oxide matrix coating and fractures, trigonal crystal system in microcrystalline aggregate, conchoidal to uneven fracture.
Formation & geological history
Formed through hydrothermal silica deposition, subsequently weathered, fractured, and eroded in alluvial or river environments where iron oxide minerals coated the outer surface and fractures.
Uses & applications
Commonly collected as river rocks, used in landscaping, tumbling for lapidary art, or crushed for industrial silica applications.
Geological facts
Massive vein quartz often breaks off into riverbeds where water action rounds it into smooth pebbles or cobbles over thousands of years.
Field identification & locations
Identified by its high hardness (scratches glass), milky white body, rounded cobble shape, and characteristic rusty brown iron oxide staining within cracks. Commonly found in gravel beds and riverbanks.
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