metamorphic
Green Quartzite
Metamorphic Quartzite (often colored by chromium-bearing minerals or fuchsite)
Hardness: 7 on the Mohs scale. Color: Greenish-blue to muted green with grey or white undertones. Luster: Vitreous to greasy on fresh surfaces. Crystal structure: Trigonal (microcrystalline quartz network). Cleavage: None (fractures conchoidally). Specific gravity: 2.65.
- Hardness
- 7 on the Mohs scale
- Color
- Greenish-blue to muted green with grey or white undertones
- Luster
- Vitreous to greasy on fresh surfaces
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Physical properties
Hardness: 7 on the Mohs scale. Color: Greenish-blue to muted green with grey or white undertones. Luster: Vitreous to greasy on fresh surfaces. Crystal structure: Trigonal (microcrystalline quartz network). Cleavage: None (fractures conchoidally). Specific gravity: 2.65.
Formation & geological history
Formed through the metamorphism of quartz-rich sandstone or chert under intense heat and pressure deep within the Earth's crust, typically over hundreds of millions of years.
Uses & applications
Used primarily as decorative landscaping stone, architectural building material, countertops, and occasionally for lapidary work and carvings.
Geological facts
Quartzite is extremely durable and weather-resistant, which is why ridges made of quartzite often form prominent, long-lasting mountain ranges or hills.
Field identification & locations
Identified by its great hardness (scratches glass easily), lack of effervescence with acid, and granular sugar-like texture on broken surfaces. Found worldwide in ancient mountain belts.
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