sedimentary
Pet Rock (Quartzite/Sandstone River Rock)
Silicon Dioxide (SiO2) mixture
Hardness 6-7 (Mohs), tan/brown color, earthy to grainy luster, clastic texture with attached plastic 'googly' eyes.
Identified More sedimentary →
Explore Pet Rock (Quartzite/Sandstone River Rock) in the encyclopedia →Identify your own rocks.
Get a report just like this from any photo, free.
Physical properties
Hardness 6-7 (Mohs), tan/brown color, earthy to grainy luster, clastic texture with attached plastic 'googly' eyes.
Formation & geological history
Formed through the accumulation and cementation of mineral grains, likely further shaped by fluvial erosion in a riverbed before being modified by a human.
Uses & applications
Novelty item, toy, or decorative paperweight; used historically as a marketing phenomenon in the 1970s.
Geological facts
The 'Pet Rock' was a 1970s fad created by Gary Dahl, who sold ordinary stones in cardboard boxes with breathing holes and an instruction manual.
Field identification & locations
Identify by its rounded river-worn shape, dull tan exterior, and the presence of artificial adhesive and plastic ocular components.
More like this
Other sedimentary specimens
Sandstone or Siltstone
Arenite (if sandstone)
Sedimentary
Sedimentary Sandstone
Arenite (Sedimentary Rock)
sedimentary
Fossiliferous Concretion
Septarian Concretion containing Brachiopods/Crinoids
fossil
Shale
Shale (clastic sedimentary rock)
sedimentary
Brown Sandstone (River Rock)
Arenite
sedimentary
Shale
Argillaceous sedimentary rock
sedimentary