mineral

Quartz Pebble

Silicon Dioxide (SiO2)

Hardness: 7 on Mohs scale; Color: Creamy white to translucent; Luster: Vitreous to greasy when water-worn; Crystal structure: Trigonal; Cleavage: None/Conchoidal fracture; Specific gravity: 2.65

Hardness: 7 on Mohs scale
Color: Creamy white to translucent
Luster: Vitreous to greasy when water-worn

Identified July 7, 2026More mineral →

Explore Quartz Pebble in the encyclopedia →

Identify your own rocks.

Get a report just like this from any photo, free.

App Store Google Play

Physical properties

Hardness: 7 on Mohs scale; Color: Creamy white to translucent; Luster: Vitreous to greasy when water-worn; Crystal structure: Trigonal; Cleavage: None/Conchoidal fracture; Specific gravity: 2.65

Formation & geological history

Formed from cooling hydrothermal veins or igneous activity, subsequently weathered and rounded by water transport in a river or beach environment over thousands of years.

Uses & applications

Collecting, decorative gardening, aggregate in construction, and as a source of high-purity silica for glass or electronics when found in large deposits.

Geological facts

Quartz is one of the most abundant minerals in Earth's crust. Rounded pebbles like this are often called 'river stones' or 'beach stones' and represent the hardest remnants of a larger host rock that survived erosion.

Field identification & locations

Identify by its hardness (it will scratch glass) and lack of visible cleavage planes even when fractured. Found globally in riverbeds, glacial deposits, and along coastlines.