mineral
White quartz pebble
Quartz (silicon dioxide, SiO₂)
AI-generated identification · may be incorrectMilky white, translucent, and glassy to waxy; likely hardness Mohs 7, with no visible cleavage and conchoidal fracture. The rounded, smooth shape indicates natural abrasion or tumbling; crystal structure is trigonal, though no crystal faces are visible.
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Physical properties
Milky white, translucent, and glassy to waxy; likely hardness Mohs 7, with no visible cleavage and conchoidal fracture. The rounded, smooth shape indicates natural abrasion or tumbling; crystal structure is trigonal, though no crystal faces are visible.
Formation & geological history
Quartz crystallizes from silica-rich igneous, metamorphic, and hydrothermal fluids, and commonly survives weathering as river, beach, or soil gravel. Its exact age and source cannot be determined from the photograph.
Uses & applications
Common quartz is used in glass, ceramics, abrasives, engineered stone, and electronics; attractive pieces are sold as inexpensive specimens or cabochons.
Geological facts
Milky color results from microscopic fluid inclusions, fractures, or impurities. Quartz is one of Earth’s most abundant and resistant minerals.
Field identification & locations
Identify it by its hardness—scratches glass but not readily scratched by steel—lack of cleavage, pale translucency, and conchoidal fracture. Common worldwide, especially in quartz veins and alluvial gravels.
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