mineral

Tumbled milky quartz pebble

Quartz (silicon dioxide, SiO₂), likely iron-stained milky quartz

AI-generated identification · may be incorrect

White, opaque to translucent, with a dull-to-waxy luster and brown-orange iron-oxide staining around the edges. Quartz has hardness 7 Mohs, no cleavage, conchoidal fracture, hexagonal crystal structure, and specific gravity about 2.65; tumbling has rounded the original surfaces.

Identified September 3, 2026More mineral →

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Physical properties

Formation & geological history

Likely formed in a quartz vein or silica-rich igneous/metamorphic rock, with microscopic fluid inclusions producing the milky appearance and later oxidation causing the brown staining. Quartz veins range from Precambrian to recent in age, so age cannot be determined from the photograph.

Uses & applications

Used as a decorative tumbled stone, lapidary material, and inexpensive jewelry or craft component; quartz is also important industrially in glass, ceramics, electronics, and abrasives.

Geological facts

Milky quartz is cloudy because of microscopic fluid or gas inclusions. The specimen’s smooth shape indicates human tumbling rather than natural weathering alone.

Field identification & locations

Check that it scratches ordinary glass but not steel, has no obvious cleavage, and shows a white streak; avoid confusing it with white calcite, which is softer and cleaves readily. Common worldwide in quartz veins and gravel deposits.