mineral
Quartz Pebble
Silicon Dioxide (SiO2)
Hardness: 7 on Mohs scale. Color: Translucent grayish-white. Luster: Vitreous to greasy. Crystal System: Trigonal/Hexagonal. Cleavage: None (conchoidal fracture).
- Hardness
- 7 on Mohs scale
- Color
- Translucent grayish-white
- Luster
- Vitreous to greasy
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Physical properties
Hardness: 7 on Mohs scale. Color: Translucent grayish-white. Luster: Vitreous to greasy. Crystal System: Trigonal/Hexagonal. Cleavage: None (conchoidal fracture).
Formation & geological history
Formed through magmatic crystallization, hydrothermal fluids, or metamorphism, then eroded and rounded by water transport in rivers, beaches, or glacial streams.
Uses & applications
Commonly used as construction aggregate, in landscaping, and in glassmaking or abrasives when processed. Small unpolished pebbles are mainly collected as pocket stones.
Geological facts
Quartz is the second most abundant mineral in Earth's continental crust. Rounded quartzite and quartz river pebbles have survived millions of years of weathering due to high chemical stability.
Field identification & locations
Identified in the field by its hardness (scratches glass), lack of cleavage, translucent appearance, and smooth rounded shape from erosion. Found abundantly worldwide in gravel beds and beaches.
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