metamorphic
Quartzite Pebble
Quartzite (primarily SiO2)
Hardness: 7 (Mohs scale); Color: Tan, beige, white, or yellowish; Luster: Vitreous to waxy; Structure: Granular/crystalline; Cleavage: None; Specific Gravity: 2.6-2.65
- Hardness
- 7 (Mohs scale)
- Color
- Tan, beige, white, or yellowish
- Luster
- Vitreous to waxy
Identified More metamorphic →
Identify your own rocks.
Get a report just like this from any photo, free.
Physical properties
Hardness: 7 (Mohs scale); Color: Tan, beige, white, or yellowish; Luster: Vitreous to waxy; Structure: Granular/crystalline; Cleavage: None; Specific Gravity: 2.6-2.65
Formation & geological history
Formed through the metamorphism of quartz sandstone under intense heat and pressure. The specimen shown is a water-worn, smoothed pebble likely shaped over thousands of years in a river or coastal environment.
Uses & applications
Used as decorative stone in landscaping, high-quality crushed stone for construction, and sometimes polished as river stones for jewelry or meditation 'worry stones'.
Geological facts
Quartzite is so tough that it often outlasts the surrounding softer rocks during erosion, remaining as rounded pebbles. It is one of the most durable rocks on Earth.
Field identification & locations
Identify in the field by its inability to be scratched by a steel knife and its grainy, sugary look when broken. Commonly found in riverbeds and glacial deposits.
More like this
