Image: <bdi><a href="https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q56247090" class="extiw" title="d:Q56247090"><span title="mineral collector and dealer">Robert M. Lavinsky</span></a></bdi> (CC BY-SA 3.0)
trigonalcommonSilicates
Milky Quartz
SiO2
Milky quartz is a macrocrystalline variety of quartz characterized by its cloudy, opaque to translucent white appearance, often forming in hexagonal prisms with pyramidal terminations.
Milky Quartz Physical Properties
Mohs Hardness
7Crystal System
trigonalLuster
vitreousStreak Color
whiteCleavage
noneFracture
conchoidalSpecific Gravity
2.65Colors
white, cloudy whiteTransparency
translucentType Locality
Ouray, Ouray District (Uncompahgre District), Ouray County, Colorado, USAMineral Group
SilicatesUses
jewelry, ornamental stone, industrial (abrasives, electronics), collectorAssociated Minerals
feldspar, mica, pyrite, calciteRarity
commonGeological Context
Milky quartz forms from hydrothermal solutions at various temperatures and pressures, often in veins within igneous, metamorphic, and sedimentary rocks. Its milky appearance is due to microscopic fluid inclusions trapped during crystal growth.
