metamorphic
Quartzite
Quartzite
Hardness: ~7 on Mohs scale. Color: Generally white, light gray, or yellowish, typically light-colored. Luster: Vitreous to granular. Cleavage: None. Often has a sugary texture where individual quartz grains are visible but tightly interlocked.
- Hardness
- ~7 on Mohs scale
- Luster
- Vitreous to granular
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Physical properties
Hardness: ~7 on Mohs scale. Color: Generally white, light gray, or yellowish, typically light-colored. Luster: Vitreous to granular. Cleavage: None. Often has a sugary texture where individual quartz grains are visible but tightly interlocked.
Formation & geological history
Formed by the metamorphism of quartz sandstone under high heat and pressure, typically during tectonic plate collisions. Geological age can vary widely.
Uses & applications
Used as decorative stone, in construction, as railroad ballast, and for making silica bricks and other industrial materials. Sometimes used in landscaping.
Geological facts
Quartzite is so hard and resistant to weathering that ridges of quartzite often form prominent topographic features in the landscape. Because of its hardness, it is difficult to quarry.
Field identification & locations
Identified by its highly sugary, granular texture and its extreme hardness (cannot be scratched by a steel nail). Commonly found in areas of ancient orogenic belts. Unlike sandstone, when broken, quartzite fractures through the quartz grains rather than around them.
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