mineral

Tumbled milky quartz pebble

Quartz (silicon dioxide, SiO₂), opaque-to-translucent milky variety

AI-generated identification · may be incorrect

White to pale gray, waxy-to-glassy luster, rounded and smooth from natural or artificial tumbling, with no obvious cleavage and irregular fracture. Mohs hardness 7; specific gravity about 2.65; typically trigonal crystalline internally, though crystal faces are absent here.

Identified August 8, 2026More mineral →

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Physical properties

Formation & geological history

Forms in hydrothermal veins, pegmatites, and many metamorphic rocks when silica-rich fluids crystallize. The rounded specimen was likely transported and abraded in stream, beach, or gravel deposits; its geological age cannot be determined from the photograph.

Uses & applications

Used as aggregate, abrasives, silica feedstock, and decorative stone; attractive translucent pieces may be used in cabochons and inexpensive jewelry. This ordinary pebble has little commercial value.

Geological facts

The cloudy appearance results from microscopic fluid inclusions, fractures, or fine mineral impurities. It may also be confused with white chalcedony, quartzite, or man-made glass.

Field identification & locations

Quartz should resist scratching by a steel knife, while glass can be scratched more easily; it should not scratch glass reliably unless the edge is sharp. Milky quartz and quartz-rich gravel are plausible near 48.7°N, 11.7°E in southern Bavaria, where glacial and river gravels are common.