metamorphic
Brown Quartzite Pebble
Quartzite (SiO2)
Hardness: 7 on Mohs scale; Color: Brownish-red to earthy tan; Luster: Dull to slightly vitreous where worn; Crystal structure: Hexagonal (microcrystalline); Cleavage: None; Fracture: Conchoidal or irregular.
- Hardness
- 7 on Mohs scale
- Color
- Brownish-red to earthy tan
- Luster
- Dull to slightly vitreous where worn
Identified More metamorphic →
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Physical properties
Hardness: 7 on Mohs scale; Color: Brownish-red to earthy tan; Luster: Dull to slightly vitreous where worn; Crystal structure: Hexagonal (microcrystalline); Cleavage: None; Fracture: Conchoidal or irregular.
Formation & geological history
Formed via the regional metamorphism of quartz-rich sandstone. Under intense heat and pressure, original quartz grains recrystallize and fuse together, creating a hard, dense rock. Often found as rounded pebbles due to water erosion.
Uses & applications
Used in construction as road ballast, gravel, and dimension stone. In jewelry, smooth pebbles are used for wire-wrapping or as 'worry stones'. Primarily a common landscaping and decorative garden stone.
Geological facts
Quartzite is so tough that it often outlasts the surrounding rock in the landscape, eventually forming resistant ridges or rounded river stones after millions of years of water transport.
Field identification & locations
Identify in the field by its extreme hardness (it will easily scratch steel or glass) and its grainy, sugary texture on fresh surfaces. It is extremely common in riverbeds and glacial deposits.
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