mineral
Weathered quartz-rich pebble
Likely milky quartz (SiO₂), possibly a quartz-rich vein fragment
AI-generated identification · may be incorrectWhite to pale gray, opaque to translucent, with a vitreous-to-dull weathered luster and irregular fractures; Mohs hardness 7, no cleavage, conchoidal fracture, specific gravity about 2.65. The dark lines may be iron/manganese staining or surface cracks.
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Physical properties
White to pale gray, opaque to translucent, with a vitreous-to-dull weathered luster and irregular fractures; Mohs hardness 7, no cleavage, conchoidal fracture, specific gravity about 2.65. The dark lines may be iron/manganese staining or surface cracks.
Formation & geological history
Likely formed as quartz precipitated in a hydrothermal vein or crystallized in an igneous rock, then released by weathering and rounded during transport; age is indeterminate and depends on its source rock.
Uses & applications
Common quartz is used in glass, ceramics, abrasives, electronics, and engineered stone; this small weathered specimen has mainly educational or decorative value.
Geological facts
Quartz is one of Earth’s most abundant minerals and is highly resistant to chemical weathering, allowing it to survive as stream and beach pebbles.
Field identification & locations
Look for hardness sufficient to scratch ordinary glass, lack of cleavage, and a white streak; a steel knife should not scratch it. Common worldwide in veins, granites, metamorphic rocks, and river gravels.
