metamorphic
Quartz with Epidote / Serpentine (Vein Quartz)
SiO2 (Quartz) with Ca2(Al,Fe)3(SiO4)3(OH) (Epidote)
Hardness around 6-7 on Mohs scale, white to milky translucent quartz matrix with dark green to blackish mineral veins, glassy to waxy luster, massive to microcrystalline texture.
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Physical properties
Hardness around 6-7 on Mohs scale, white to milky translucent quartz matrix with dark green to blackish mineral veins, glassy to waxy luster, massive to microcrystalline texture.
Formation & geological history
Formed through hydrothermal alteration and metamorphism, where silica-rich fluids cooled and crystallized into quartz while iron-magnesium rich minerals formed veinlets of epidote, chlorite, or serpentine.
Uses & applications
Commonly collected as beach pebbles, used for lapidary work, tumbling, decorative stones, and rock collections.
Geological facts
Beach-tumbled quartz pebbles with green veins are common in coastal metamorphic terranes. Wave action naturally rounds and polishes the stone, highlighting the contrast between the milky quartz and green mineral veins.
Field identification & locations
Look for a hard white quartz body that scratches glass, intersected by web-like dark green to olive veins. Commonly found on beaches, riverbeds, and gravel bars in coastal or mountainous metamorphic regions.
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