mineral
Quartz Pebble
Silicon Dioxide (SiO2)
Hardness 7 on Mohs scale, yellowish-tan to off-white, waxy to vitreous luster, microcrystalline to cryptocrystalline aggregate structure, no cleavage, smooth water-worn texture, translucent to opaque.
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, yellowish-tan to off-white, waxy to vitreous luster, microcrystalline to cryptocrystalline aggregate structure, no cleavage, smooth water-worn texture, translucent to opaque.
Formation & geological history
Formed via river or beach erosion rounding pre-existing vein quartz or quartzite fragments. The yellowish discoloration is often due to iron oxide staining within micro-fractures.
Uses & applications
Used primarily in decorative landscaping, pebble art, aquariums, tumbling, and as a common rock collector specimen.
Geological facts
Quartz is one of the most resistant minerals on Earth's surface, allowing small pebbles like this to survive thousands of years of tumbling in streams and rivers without dissolving.
Field identification & locations
Identify by its hardness (scratches glass readily), smooth river-worn oval shape, lack of cleavage, and translucent yellowish appearance. Very common in gravel beds, stream deposits, and coastal beaches globally.
More like this
Other mineral specimens
Sandstone (with potential mineral staining/concretions)
Arenite (SiO2 based)
sedimentary
Limonite / Goethite (Iron Ore Mineral nodule)
FeO(OH)·nH2O / FeO(OH)
mineral
Schist
Schist
Metamorphic
Septarian Pebble
Septarian nodule / Concretion
sedimentary
Potassium Feldspar (Orthoclase)
Orthoclase (KAlSi3O8)
mineral
Sandstone with Mineral Veining or Crust
Sedimentary Sandstone (mostly SiO2 with Fe2O3 tinting)
sedimentary