mineral

Quartz River Pebble

Silicon Dioxide (SiO2)

Hardness: 7 (Mohs scale); Color: White, translucent, or light tan with iron staining; Luster: Vitreous to waxy (when tumbled); Crystal Structure: Hexagonal (trigonal); Cleavage: None (conchoidal fracture); Specific Gravity: 2.65

Hardness: 7 (Mohs scale)
Color: White, translucent, or light tan with iron staining
Luster: Vitreous to waxy (when tumbled)

Identified July 18, 2026More mineral →

Explore Quartz River Pebble in the encyclopedia →

Identify your own rocks.

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

App Store Google Play

Physical properties

Formation & geological history

Formed through crystallization of silica-rich magma or precipitation from hydrothermal veins. This specific specimen has been physically weathered and rounded by water transport in a river or coastal environment over thousands of years.

Uses & applications

Used in construction as aggregate, in glassmaking, as a decorative garden stone, and as a component in spiritual or lapidary collecting.

Geological facts

Quartz is the second most abundant mineral in Earth's continental crust. River pebbles are naturally tumbled by the friction of other rocks and water, a process that can take many years to achieve such a rounded shape.

Field identification & locations

Identify by its hardness (it can scratch glass) and lack of cleavage. Look for the translucent quality and smooth, water-worn texture typical of riverbed or beach finds. Extremely common worldwide.