sedimentary
Chert with Fossil Brachiopod
Microcrystalline Quartz (SiO2) with Calcitic Brachiopod inclusion
Hardness: 7 (matrix) to 3 (fossil); Color: Grey/Brown w/ white fossil; Luster: Waxy to vitreous; Structure: Cryptocrystalline; Cleavage: none (conchoidal fracture)
- Hardness
- 7 (matrix) to 3 (fossil)
- Color
- Grey/Brown w/ white fossil
- Luster
- Waxy to vitreous
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Physical properties
Hardness: 7 (matrix) to 3 (fossil); Color: Grey/Brown w/ white fossil; Luster: Waxy to vitreous; Structure: Cryptocrystalline; Cleavage: none (conchoidal fracture)
Formation & geological history
Formed in marine environments via the accumulation of silica-rich organic remains and chemical precipitation, often during the Paleozoic era. The fossil is a marine invertebrate preserved in the rock.
Uses & applications
Geological collecting, educational study, and historical use as tool stones (flint) or decorative lapidary material.
Geological facts
The image shows a distinct brachiopod shell cross-section. Brachiopods have survived for over 500 million years but were most dominant during the Paleozoic era before the Permian-Triassic extinction.
Field identification & locations
Identified by the hard, fine-grained matrix and the characteristic symmetrical shell outline of the brachiopod. Commonly found in limestone and shale deposits globally.
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