mineral

Yellow Quartz Pebble

Silicon Dioxide (SiO2)

Hardness: 7 on Mohs scale. Color: Yellow to golden-orange due to iron oxide staining. Luster: Vitreous to waxy. Crystal Structure: Hexagonal (trigonal). Cleavage: None (conchoidal fracture). Specific Gravity: 2.65.

Hardness: 7 on Mohs scale
Color: Yellow to golden-orange due to iron oxide staining
Luster: Vitreous to waxy

Identified July 27, 2026More mineral →

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Physical properties

Formation & geological history

Formed in igneous or metamorphic hydrothermal veins as clear quartz, then eroded and water-worn in riverbeds or coastal environments. Stained yellow over time by micro-inclusions of iron oxides (hematite/goethite).

Uses & applications

Commonly collected as river rocks, used in landscaping, tumbling for lapidary hobbies, and occasionally made into beads or wire-wrapped jewelry.

Geological facts

Yellow quartz pebbles are often referred to as 'iron-stained quartz' or naturally stained quartzite. Despite their yellow hue, they are distinct from true citrine, which is colored by iron at the atomic lattice level rather than surface/fracture staining.

Field identification & locations

Identified in the field by its hardness (scratches glass, cannot be scratched by a steel knife), rounded water-worn shape, translucency, and yellow-orange iron staining within internal fractures. Extremely abundant in gravel bars, beaches, and riverbeds globally.