mineral

Quartz Pebble

Silicon Dioxide (SiO2)

Hardness: 7 on Mohs scale. Color: White to milky-white with slight pinkish or reddish staining. Luster: Vitreous to greasy. Crystal Structure: Trigonal. Cleavage: None, exhibits conchoidal fracture. Specific Gravity: 2.65.

Hardness: 7 on Mohs scale
Color: White to milky-white with slight pinkish or reddish staining
Luster: Vitreous to greasy

Identified July 29, 2026More mineral →

Explore Quartz Pebble in the encyclopedia →

Identify your own rocks.

Get a report just like this from any photo, free.

App Store Google Play

Physical properties

Formation & geological history

Forms through crystallization in igneous, metamorphic, and sedimentary environments. Quartz is exceptionally resistant to weathering and chemical breakdown, allowing it to survive transportation in rivers and streams to form rounded pebbles.

Uses & applications

Used in landscaping, decorative gravel, glassmaking, and occasionally as tumbled lapidary stones.

Geological facts

Quartz is one of the most abundant minerals in the Earth's continental crust. Its extreme durability means quartz pebbles can persist in the geological record long after other rock types have eroded away.

Field identification & locations

Identified by its high hardness (scratches glass), lack of cleavage, and conchoidal fracture. Found worldwide in stream beds, beaches, and conglomerate rock formations.