Snow quartz: a trade name for white quartz, care and buying tips

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Snow quartz is a trade name for opaque white quartz, most often milky quartz. Hard (7), snow-white, it comes from Brazil and many other countries.

Key points

Colour	snow white, milky white, opaque to translucent
Mineral family	quartz, silicon dioxide, SiO2
Crystal system	trigonal
Hardness (Mohs)	7
Density	about 2.65
Cause of the colour	very numerous microscopic fluid or gas inclusions, which scatter light
Nature of the name	trade name (snow quartz), common synonym for milky quartz
Known deposits	very widespread: Brazil, Madagascar, United States, India, Europe
Common treatments	polishing; some white shop stones are other materials

What is snow quartz?

Snow quartz is a trade name for opaque or barely translucent white quartz. In the great majority of cases, it is milky quartz: ordinary quartz (SiO2, hardness 7, density 2.65) that has turned white because it contains countless tiny pockets of liquid or gas, of microscopic size. Light scatters in every direction inside it, and the crystal looks white like milk instead of transparent.

“Snow” is therefore not a separate mineral: it is a commercial way of presenting white quartz. It is extremely widespread, found in quartz veins of rocks all over the world (Brazil, Madagascar, Europe, United States, India and more). Snow quartz is often polished into tumbled stones, spheres or beads. For basic quartz, read about rock crystal.

Milky quartz breaks with a shell-like fracture (a curved surface, like glass) and has no cleavage planes. It is hard enough to scratch ordinary glass, which explains its long use as a stone for knapping sharp flakes.

Not to be confused with other white stones

Several white materials are sold on neighbouring stalls, sometimes under the same name. The word “snow” can also refer to other white stones. Reliable markers (appearance, weight, feel):

Material	Hardness	What sets it apart
Snow quartz (milky)	7	milk-white, greasy to vitreous lustre, shell-like fracture
White calcite	3	softer, cooler to the touch, breaks into small rhombohedra
Howlite	3.5	grey or brown veinlets; often dyed
Magnesite	3.5 to 4.5	matt, very porous, often dyed
Selenite	2	silky, scratched by a fingernail
Opal glass or porcelain	5 to 6 (glass)	bubbles or perfect uniformity, very regular surfaces

A snow quartz sold very cheaply, with a perfectly uniform white and a very glossy polish, may be opaline glass. Hardness (7) is the best test, but do not test a piece you want to keep intact.

Traditional symbolism

White evokes purity, snow, the blank page. In modern crystal books, snow quartz is associated with calm, the symbolic cleansing of a space and clarity. It is sometimes presented as a “cleanser” of atmosphere.

These associations are modern conventions based on colour. Milky quartz has been known since prehistory (it breaks into sharp flakes and was used as a tool), but the name “snow” is commercial and recent. No study has shown any effect of the stone on calm or health.

Area	Correspondence cited
Chakra	crown
Element	water or air, depending on the author
Signs	Cancer, Pisces (varies)
Keywords	calm, clarity, fresh start

How to use it

As decoration: a large piece or a white sphere in a bright room.
As a pocket stone: a white tumbled stone to keep in your hand (see meditating with a stone).
As jewellery: beads and cabochons; its hardness of 7 allows regular wear (guide).
In a crystal grid: as the white element of a pattern (tutorial).

Cleaning and cleansing

Cleaning: lukewarm water, mild soap, soft brush. Quartz is barely porous and durable.
Sun: no risk for natural milky quartz.
Salt: possible, but rinse afterwards.
Knocks: quartz is hard but brittle; store it apart from softer stones, which it will scratch.
Symbolic cleansing: smoke, sound, moonlight (guide).

See the Mohs scale to know which stones it can scratch.

Recognising a genuine snow quartz

Snow quartz is a natural material and is rarely fake. Warnings mainly concern confusion of names.

Too-perfect white: a porcelain-like white, with no cloudiness or translucency at all, may be opaline glass or porcelain.
Very light: white resin is much lighter than quartz (density about 1.2 against 2.65).
Dyes: white quartz is not dyed white, but crackled quartz in other colours exists (see red quartz).
Another white stone: howlite, magnesite or calcite sold under similar names.

See real or fake stone and our commitments on the nature of our stones.

How to choose

Snow quartz is very affordable. Look for a pleasant white, with slight translucency at the edges, an even polish and few fissures. For a sphere, check that it shows no fracture. If the label says “milky quartz”, that is a good sign of clarity.

Pairings: with rock crystal for a set that is both clear and milky, with selenite for an all-white set, or with rose quartz. To care for all your stones, read our guide.

Frequently asked questions

Is snow quartz the same as milky quartz?

In the great majority of cases, yes: “snow” is a trade name for milky quartz, that is, opaque white quartz.

Why is snow quartz white?

Because of tiny pockets of liquid or gas trapped in the crystal, which scatter light in every direction.

Is snow quartz hard?

Yes, 7 on the Mohs scale. It scratches most soft stones such as calcite or selenite.

Is snow quartz dyed?

No, its white colour is natural. Be careful, however, of confusion with other white stones (howlite, magnesite), which are often dyed other colours.

How can I tell it apart from white calcite?

By hardness (7 against 3) and fracture: quartz breaks with a shell-like surface, calcite splits into small rhombohedra. Calcite also feels cooler to the touch and scratches more easily.