metamorphic
Quartzite Pebble
Quartzite (primarily SiO2)
Hardness: 7 (Mohs scale); Color: Creamy white with grayish streaks; Luster: Vitreous to dull; Crystal structure: Hexagonal (microcrystalline); Cleavage: None/Conchoidal fracture.
- Hardness
- 7 (Mohs scale)
- Color
- Creamy white with grayish streaks
- Luster
- Vitreous to dull
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Physical properties
Hardness: 7 (Mohs scale); Color: Creamy white with grayish streaks; Luster: Vitreous to dull; Crystal structure: Hexagonal (microcrystalline); Cleavage: None/Conchoidal fracture.
Formation & geological history
Formed through the metamorphism of quartz-rich sandstone. Under intense heat and pressure, quartz grains recrystallize and fuse together, creating an extremely durable rock.
Uses & applications
Used in construction as road ballast, in glassmaking (if high purity), and in garden landscaping or as decorative pebbles.
Geological facts
Quartzite is so hard that when it breaks, it fractures through the quartz grains rather than along the boundaries between them, unlike its parent rock, sandstone.
Field identification & locations
Identify by its ability to scratch glass and lack of reaction to acid. Commonly found in riverbeds, glacial tills, and mountainous metamorphic terrains worldwide.
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