mineral
Quartz Pebble
Silicon Dioxide (SiO2)
Hardness: 7 on Mohs scale. Color: Translucent yellowish-brown to tan. Luster: Vitreous to waxy (wet). Crystal Structure: Trigonal/Hexagonal microcrystalline or crystalline quartz aggregate. Cleavage: None, exhibits conchoidal fracture. Specific Gravity: ~2.65.
- Hardness
- 7 on Mohs scale
- Color
- Translucent yellowish-brown to tan
- Luster
- Vitreous to waxy (wet)
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Physical properties
Hardness: 7 on Mohs scale. Color: Translucent yellowish-brown to tan. Luster: Vitreous to waxy (wet). Crystal Structure: Trigonal/Hexagonal microcrystalline or crystalline quartz aggregate. Cleavage: None, exhibits conchoidal fracture. Specific Gravity: ~2.65.
Formation & geological history
Formed through igneous or hydrothermal precipitation, subsequently eroded, rounded, and smoothed by stream or beach wave action over long periods.
Uses & applications
Commonly collected as beach pebbles, used in decorative landscaping, lapidary art, tumbling, and as abrasive material.
Geological facts
Smooth beach and river pebbles like this acquire their rounded, polished appearance through thousands of cycles of wave and current attrition.
Field identification & locations
Identified by its high hardness (scratches glass, cannot be scratched by steel), smooth rounded water-worn shape, and translucent silica appearance. Found globally along riverbeds, beaches, and gravel deposits.
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