mineral

White Quartz (Milky Quartz)

Silicon Dioxide (SiO2)

Hardness: 7 on the Mohs scale. Color: Opaque white to translucent. Luster: Vitreous (glassy) to greasy. Crystal structure: Trigonal/Hexagonal. Cleavage: Poor/None (conchoidal fracture). Specific Gravity: 2.65.

Hardness: 7 on the Mohs scale
Color: Opaque white to translucent
Luster: Vitreous (glassy) to greasy

Identified March 17, 2026More mineral →

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Physical properties

Formation & geological history

Formed through the cooling of silica-rich magma or from hydrothermal veins. Milky quartz specifically gets its appearance from tiny fluid inclusions of gas or liquid trapped during crystal growth. Found in various geological ages globally.

Uses & applications

Used in the glass industry, as an abrasive, in electronics (due to piezoelectric properties), construction aggregates, and widely used as tumbled stones or jewelry beads in the lapidary arts.

Geological facts

Quartz is the second most abundant mineral in Earth's continental crust. Milky quartz is the most common variety of crystalline quartz. Historically, it was used by ancient cultures for tool making and as talismans.

Field identification & locations

Identify by its ability to scratch glass, its lack of cleavage, and its characteristic waxy or glassy luster. Commonly found in riverbeds, mountain ranges, and near pegmatite veins. Tumbled specimens like this one are ubiquitous in 'gem pits' and gift shops.