sedimentary
Fossil Coral and Quartz Pebble
Fossilized Anthozoa / Silicon Dioxide (Quartz)
Hardness: 7 for the quartz pebble, 3-4 for the fossilized coral on Mohs scale. Color: Tan, beige, and off-white. Luster: Vitreous to dull. Structure: Microcrystalline quartz and porous skeletal coral structure.
- Color
- Tan, beige, and off-white
- Luster
- Vitreous to dull
Identified More sedimentary →
Explore Fossil Coral and Quartz Pebble in the encyclopedia →Identify your own rocks.
Get a report just like this from any photo, free.
Physical properties
Hardness: 7 for the quartz pebble, 3-4 for the fossilized coral on Mohs scale. Color: Tan, beige, and off-white. Luster: Vitreous to dull. Structure: Microcrystalline quartz and porous skeletal coral structure.
Formation & geological history
Formed in ancient shallow marine environments where coral skeletons accumulated and were later replaced or preserved in sedimentary rock layers, alongside weathered quartz pebbles from surrounding strata.
Uses & applications
Used in lapidary work, educational displays, and collected as natural curiosities.
Geological facts
Fossil coral is often silicified, meaning the original calcium carbonate of the coral skeleton has been replaced by microcrystalline quartz over millions of years.
Field identification & locations
Found in regions with ancient limestone or marine sedimentary deposits. Identify by the distinctive honeycomb or porous cellular pattern on the coral specimen and the smooth, rounded shape of the quartz pebble.
More like this
Other sedimentary specimens
Sandstone or Siltstone
Arenite (if sandstone)
Sedimentary
Fossiliferous Concretion
Septarian Concretion containing Brachiopods/Crinoids
fossil
Quartz pebble
Silicon dioxide (SiO2)
sedimentary
Generic Pebble / Rock Fragment
Lithic fragment / Weathered rock
sedimentary
Banded Siltstone / Mudstone Pebble
Siltstone / Argillite
sedimentary
Sedimentary Sandstone
Arenite (Sedimentary Rock)
sedimentary