mineral
Quartz pebble
Silicon dioxide (SiO2)
Hardness of 7 on the Mohs scale, typically white or translucent grey in color, vitreous luster, hexagonal crystal system when well-formed (cryptocrystalline or massive here), conchoidal fracture, specific gravity of 2.65.
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Physical properties
Hardness of 7 on the Mohs scale, typically white or translucent grey in color, vitreous luster, hexagonal crystal system when well-formed (cryptocrystalline or massive here), conchoidal fracture, specific gravity of 2.65.
Formation & geological history
Formed through the weathering and erosion of quartz-bearing rocks like granite or quartzite, with the durable quartz surviving transport in streams and rivers to become rounded pebbles.
Uses & applications
Used in landscaping, decorative stone, and as a raw material in various industrial applications like glassmaking.
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
Easily identified by its high hardness (scratches glass) and conchoidal fracture. Found worldwide in riverbeds, beaches, and glacial deposits.
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Arenite (SiO2 based)
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Soil with Mineral Detritus and Quartz Fragments
Regolith / Silicate Mineral Aggregate
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Limonite / Goethite (Iron Ore Mineral nodule)
FeO(OH)·nH2O / FeO(OH)
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Septarian Pebble
Septarian nodule / Concretion
sedimentary
Schist
Schist
Metamorphic
Potassium Feldspar (Orthoclase)
Orthoclase (KAlSi3O8)
mineral