mineral

Tumbled aventurine quartz

Quartz (SiO₂), likely green-gray aventurine with mica or hematite inclusions

AI-generated identification · may be incorrect

Hardness about 7 Mohs; gray-green to brown body with abundant glittery aventurescence, vitreous luster, and no visible cleavage. Quartz is trigonal and has a specific gravity near 2.65.

Identified August 21, 2026More mineral →

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Physical properties

Hardness about 7 Mohs; gray-green to brown body with abundant glittery aventurescence, vitreous luster, and no visible cleavage. Quartz is trigonal and has a specific gravity near 2.65.

Formation & geological history

Forms in silica-rich hydrothermal veins and metamorphic rocks, where microscopic mica or hematite inclusions create the sparkle; the shown piece is human-tumbled and may derive from Proterozoic–younger quartz-bearing deposits.

Uses & applications

Used as an ornamental stone, cabochon, beads, carvings, and inexpensive jewelry; also collected as a decorative mineral specimen.

Geological facts

The glitter is aventurescence, caused by reflected light from aligned inclusions rather than metallic crystals. Gray or brown varieties may contain fuchsite, mica, goethite, or hematite instead of the chromium-bearing mica typical of green aventurine.

Field identification & locations

Identify it by its glassy sparkle, uniform fine-grained quartz appearance, and high scratch resistance; it should scratch ordinary glass but not be scratched by a steel knife. Common sources include India, Brazil, Russia, and China.