mineral

Quartz Pebble

Silicon Dioxide (SiO2)

Hardness: 7 on Mohs scale. Color: White, translucent, with yellowish-brown iron staining. Luster: Vitreous to greasy. Crystal Structure: Trigonal. Cleavage: None (conchoidal fracture). Specific Gravity: 2.65.

Hardness: 7 on Mohs scale
Color: White, translucent, with yellowish-brown iron staining
Luster: Vitreous to greasy

Identified July 28, 2026More mineral →

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Physical properties

Formation & geological history

Forms in a wide variety of geological environments, commonly crystallizing from silica-rich hydrothermal solutions or cooling magma. This particular specimen is a water-worn pebble smoothed by river or marine transport.

Uses & applications

Used in glassmaking, electronics, abrasives, gemstones, decorative landscape stone, and mineral collections.

Geological facts

Quartz is one of the most abundant and durable minerals in Earth's continental crust, highly resistant to both chemical and mechanical weathering.

Field identification & locations

Can be identified by its high hardness (scratches glass), lack of cleavage, and characteristic conchoidal fracture. Found worldwide in stream beds, beaches, and sedimentary deposits.