metamorphic
Quartzite River Rock
Metamorphic Quartzite (SiO2)
Hardness: 7 on Mohs scale; Color: Creamy white to pale yellow; Luster: Vitreous to waxy; Structure: Granular/crystalline; Cleavage: None; SG: 2.63-2.65
- Hardness
- 7 on Mohs scale
- Color
- Creamy white to pale yellow
- Luster
- Vitreous to waxy
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Physical properties
Hardness: 7 on Mohs scale; Color: Creamy white to pale yellow; Luster: Vitreous to waxy; Structure: Granular/crystalline; Cleavage: None; SG: 2.63-2.65
Formation & geological history
Formed from the metamorphism of quartz sandstone under intense heat and pressure, often rounded through fluvial (river) erosion over thousands of years.
Uses & applications
Used primarily in landscaping, decorative ground cover, and as an industrial source of silica; occasionally used for small carvings or tumbling.
Geological facts
Quartzite is so hard and dense that when it breaks, it fractures through the quartz grains rather than along the boundaries between them.
Field identification & locations
Identify by its extreme hardness (cannot be scratched by a steel blade) and it will typically not react with acid; common in riverbeds and glacial deposits.
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