Rutilated Quartz Pebble
Measures Approximately: 1 7/8" x 1" x 1/2"
Weighs Approximately: .8 oz
If you want a rutilated quartz pocket rock, this is a good candidate. The quartz is water clear and is riddled with rutile.
Quartz is the most common of the silica minerals. The group is all composed of silicon dioxide but have different crystal structures. The others form under specific conditions like very high temperatures. The name quartz comes from the German quarz, without a “t”. It may be derived from the Polish kwardy (“hard”). Pure quartz is colorless but trace metal inclusions can color it purple (amethyst), yellow (citrine), and brown (smoky quartz). It also forms in fibrous varieties without visible crystals like chalcedony.
Rutile is a titanium oxide mineral (TiO2) that forms in golden or red colored needle shaped threads when it occurs within quartz. When it forms in other minerals, such as ruby or sapphire, it can create asterism that is the desirable "star" effect that plays across the surface of the gemstone when seen in direct light. The titanium oxide created by purifying and making a powder with rutile is used as a non-toxic white pigment for paints, cosmetics, food, and toothpaste.