metamorphic
Quartzite Pebble
Quartzite (mostly SiO2)
Hardness: 7 on Mohs scale; Color: waxy white to grey with iron oxide staining (orange/brown); Luster: vitreous to greasy; Crystal Structure: non-foliated granoblastic; Cleavage: none (conchoidal fracture).
- Hardness
- 7 on Mohs scale
- Color
- waxy white to grey with iron oxide staining (orange/brown)
- Luster
- vitreous to greasy
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Physical properties
Hardness: 7 on Mohs scale; Color: waxy white to grey with iron oxide staining (orange/brown); Luster: vitreous to greasy; Crystal Structure: non-foliated granoblastic; Cleavage: none (conchoidal fracture).
Formation & geological history
Formed from the metamorphism of quartz-rich sandstone under intense heat and pressure, typically in orogenic belts. This specific specimen shows signs of fluvial erosion (river rounding).
Uses & applications
Used as a decorative stone, in construction aggregates, and as a raw material for glass making and silica production.
Geological facts
Quartzite is so tough that it often outlasts the mountain ranges from which it originates, ending up as rounded river stones like this one after millions of years of transport.
Field identification & locations
Identify by its inability to be scratched by steel, its lack of reaction to acid, and its sandy texture visible under a hand lens. Common in riverbeds and glacial deposits.
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