sedimentary
Beach Pebbles and Quartz Aggregates
Quartz pebbles and biogenic fragments (SiO2, CaCO3)
Hardness: 7 (for quartz pebbles); Color: off-white, grey, tan, yellowish brown; Luster: vitreous to dull; Texture: smooth, water-worn, rounded to sub-rounded pebbles.
- Hardness
- 7 (for quartz pebbles)
- Color
- off-white, grey, tan, yellowish brown
- Luster
- vitreous to dull
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Physical properties
Hardness: 7 (for quartz pebbles); Color: off-white, grey, tan, yellowish brown; Luster: vitreous to dull; Texture: smooth, water-worn, rounded to sub-rounded pebbles.
Formation & geological history
Formed through mechanical weathering, stream transport, and coastal wave erosion. The pebbles consist of durable quartz veins and sedimentary or metamorphic clasts rounded by repeated wave action along beach lines.
Uses & applications
Commonly collected as beach souvenirs, used in decorative landscaping, aquarium gravel, or crafts.
Geological facts
Smooth beach pebbles owe their shape to abrasion against other stones and sand driven by ocean currents over decades or centuries.
Field identification & locations
Can be identified by their water-rounded, smooth surfaces and mixed composition. Very common along coastal beaches, riverbanks, and glacial till deposits.
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