mineral
Quartz pebble
SiO2
Hardness: 7 on Mohs scale. Color: clear, milky, grayish, or yellowish. Luster: vitreous. Crystal structure: trigonal. Cleavage: none, conchoidal fracture.
- Hardness
- 7 on Mohs scale
- Color
- clear, milky, grayish, or yellowish
- Luster
- vitreous
Identified More mineral →
Explore Quartz pebble in the encyclopedia →Identify your own rocks.
Get a report just like this from any photo, free.
Physical properties
Hardness: 7 on Mohs scale. Color: clear, milky, grayish, or yellowish. Luster: vitreous. Crystal structure: trigonal. Cleavage: none, conchoidal fracture.
Formation & geological history
Formed in igneous, metamorphic, and sedimentary rocks. Often found as rounded pebbles in riverbeds or beaches due to weathering and water transport.
Uses & applications
Common component in sand and gravel used in construction. High-purity quartz is used in glassmaking and electronics. Often collected by rockhounds.
Geological facts
Quartz is one of the most abundant minerals in the Earth's continental crust. Its resistance to weathering allows it to persist as sand grains and pebbles in sedimentary environments.
Field identification & locations
Identified by its hardness (scratches glass) and conchoidal fracture. Often found loose in soils, streams, and beaches.
More like this
Other mineral specimens
Sandstone (with potential mineral staining/concretions)
Arenite (SiO2 based)
sedimentary
Soil with Mineral Detritus and Quartz Fragments
Regolith / Silicate Mineral Aggregate
sedimentary
Limonite / Goethite (Iron Ore Mineral nodule)
FeO(OH)·nH2O / FeO(OH)
mineral
Septarian Pebble
Septarian nodule / Concretion
sedimentary
Potassium Feldspar (Orthoclase)
Orthoclase (KAlSi3O8)
mineral
Schist
Schist
Metamorphic