mineral

Quartz Pebble

Silicon Dioxide (SiO2)

Hardness: 7 on the Mohs scale; Color: White to tan/cream with brownish staining; Luster: Vitreous to waxy (when water-worn); Crystal Structure: Hexagonal/Trigonal; Cleavage: None (conchoidal fracture); Specific Gravity: 2.65.

Hardness: 7 on the Mohs scale
Color: White to tan/cream with brownish staining
Luster: Vitreous to waxy (when water-worn)

Identified June 18, 2026More mineral →

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Physical properties

Formation & geological history

Formed through the cooling of silica-rich magma or precipitation from hydrothermal veins. This specific specimen is a water-worn river pebble, likely weathered out of a metamorphic or igneous host rock over millions of years and rounded by fluvial transport.

Uses & applications

Used in construction aggregates, glass making, and as decorative tumbling stones. High-purity quartz is essential in electronics and as abrasives.

Geological facts

Quartz is the second most abundant mineral in Earth's continental crust. Its name comes from the German word 'Quarz', which had its origins in Slavic and West Slavic languages.

Field identification & locations

Identify in the field by its inability to be scratched by a steel blade and its lack of cleavage. Commonly found in riverbeds, beaches, and soil. To confirm, look for the waxy luster on rounded surfaces and its resistance to weathering.