metamorphic
Quartzite with Iron Inclusions
Quartzite (SiO2 with Fe impurities)
Hardness: 7 (Mohs scale); Color: White, gray, and tan with reddish-orange iron staining; Luster: Vitreous to dull; Crystal structure: Trigonal (granular); Cleavage: None/Conchoidal fracture.
- Hardness
- 7 (Mohs scale)
- Color
- White, gray, and tan with reddish-orange iron staining
- Luster
- Vitreous to dull
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Physical properties
Hardness: 7 (Mohs scale); Color: White, gray, and tan with reddish-orange iron staining; Luster: Vitreous to dull; Crystal structure: Trigonal (granular); Cleavage: None/Conchoidal fracture.
Formation & geological history
Formed from the metamorphism of quartz sandstone under high heat and pressure, often found in mountain belts and cratonic interiors across various geological eras.
Uses & applications
Used as crushed stone for road construction, railway ballast, and as a raw material in the glass and ceramics industry due to high silica content.
Geological facts
Quartzite is so durable that it often remains as ridges or peaks after softer rocks around it have eroded away. The orange-brown staining is typical of limonite or goethite weathering.
Field identification & locations
Identify in the field by its inability to be scratched by steel and its granular, sugary appearance which distinguishes it from massive quartz. Common in glacial till and riverbeds.
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