mineral

Quartz (Tumbled/Water-worn pebble)

Silicon Dioxide (SiO2)

Hardness of 7 on the Mohs scale, colors range from clear to white, yellow, orange, or pink due to iron oxide staining, vitreous to greasy luster, trigonal crystal system, conchoidal fracture with no true cleavage, specific gravity of 2.65.

Identified July 28, 2026More mineral →

Explore Quartz (Tumbled/Water-worn 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 in a wide variety of geological environments, frequently crystallizing from silica-rich hydrothermal veins or as a primary component of igneous, metamorphic, and sedimentary rocks. This specific specimen has been smoothed and shaped by aqueous transport in a river or beach environment.

Uses & applications

Used in electronics, oscillators, glassware, abrasives, gemstones, lapidary art, and ornamental collections.

Geological facts

Quartz is one of the most abundant and widely distributed minerals on Earth's continental crust. Its high resistance to chemical and mechanical weathering allows it to survive long transport cycles in rivers and oceans.

Field identification & locations

Easily identified by its high hardness (scratches glass), conchoidal fracture, and lack of cleavage. Found globally in almost all geological terrains, commonly collected as tumbled stones or river pebbles.

Other mineral specimens

See all

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

Schist

Metamorphic

Septarian Pebble

Septarian nodule / Concretion

sedimentary

Potassium Feldspar (Orthoclase)

Orthoclase (KAlSi3O8)

mineral