mineral
Quartz Pebble
Silicon Dioxide (SiO2)
Hardness: 7 (Mohs), Color: White to translucent tan, Luster: Vitreous to waxy, Crystal Structure: Trigonal (often crypto-crystalline in water-worn pebbles), Cleavage: None (conchoidal fracture)
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Physical properties
Hardness: 7 (Mohs), Color: White to translucent tan, Luster: Vitreous to waxy, Crystal Structure: Trigonal (often crypto-crystalline in water-worn pebbles), Cleavage: None (conchoidal fracture)
Formation & geological history
Formed from hydrothermal veins or as a primary constituent of igneous rocks. This specific specimen has been smoothed by fluvial (river) or marine erosion process over thousands of years.
Uses & applications
Used commercially in construction (aggregate), glass making, and as decorative stone in gardens or aquarium substrate.
Geological facts
Quartz is the second most abundant mineral in Earth's continental crust. These smooth shapes are created through 'attrition,' where rocks bang against each other in moving water.
Field identification & locations
Identify in the field by its inability to be scratched by a steel knife and its lack of visible grains. Common in riverbeds, beaches, and glacial till globally.
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Sandstone (with potential mineral staining/concretions)
Arenite (SiO2 based)
sedimentary
Sandstone with Mineral Veining or Crust
Sedimentary Sandstone (mostly SiO2 with Fe2O3 tinting)
sedimentary
Schist
Schist
Metamorphic
Epidote
Epidote | Ca2(Al2,Fe3+)(SiO4)(Si2O7)O(OH)
metamorphic
Gypsum (variety Selenite or Alabaster)
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Mineral
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