mineral
Quartz pebble
Silicon Dioxide (SiO2)
Hardness of 7 on the Mohs scale, typically translucent to transparent with a vitreous luster, conchoidal fracture, and no true cleavage. Color ranges from clear to yellowish-brown due to iron staining.
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Physical properties
Hardness of 7 on the Mohs scale, typically translucent to transparent with a vitreous luster, conchoidal fracture, and no true cleavage. Color ranges from clear to yellowish-brown due to iron staining.
Formation & geological history
Formed via crystallization from silica-rich hydrothermal solutions or cooling magma, frequently found as weathered, water-worn pebbles in sedimentary deposits and riverbeds.
Uses & applications
Used in landscaping, abrasive materials, glassmaking, electronics, and as tumbled or polished stones for jewelry and lapidary work.
Geological facts
Quartz is one of the most abundant and durable minerals in the Earth's continental crust, highly resistant to both chemical and mechanical weathering.
Field identification & locations
Easily identified by its high hardness (scratches glass), conchoidal fracture, and lack of cleavage. Found worldwide in beaches, rivers, and soil.
More like this
Other mineral specimens
Sandstone (with potential mineral staining/concretions)
Arenite (SiO2 based)
sedimentary
Soil with Mineral Detritus and Quartz Fragments
Regolith / Silicate Mineral Aggregate
sedimentary
Limonite / Goethite (Iron Ore Mineral nodule)
FeO(OH)·nH2O / FeO(OH)
mineral
Septarian Pebble
Septarian nodule / Concretion
sedimentary
Schist
Schist
Metamorphic
Potassium Feldspar (Orthoclase)
Orthoclase (KAlSi3O8)
mineral