metamorphic
Pink Quartzite Pebble
Meta-quartzite (SiO2 with iron oxide inclusions)
Hardness: 7 on the Mohs scale. Color: Pale pink to reddish-salmon due to trace amounts of hematite/iron oxide. Luster: Vitreous to dull, grainy texture. Crystal structure: Trigonal (microcrystalline interlocked quartz grains). Cleavage: None. Specific Gravity: ~2.65. Stream-rounded and smooth.
- Hardness
- 7 on the Mohs scale
- Luster
- Vitreous to dull, grainy texture
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Physical properties
Hardness: 7 on the Mohs scale. Color: Pale pink to reddish-salmon due to trace amounts of hematite/iron oxide. Luster: Vitreous to dull, grainy texture. Crystal structure: Trigonal (microcrystalline interlocked quartz grains). Cleavage: None. Specific Gravity: ~2.65. Stream-rounded and smooth.
Formation & geological history
Formed through the regional or contact metamorphism of quartz-rich sandstone. High heat and pressure fused quartz grains into a dense crystalline rock. Subsequently eroded by water action in riverbeds or coastal environments, creating a smooth rounded pebble.
Uses & applications
Commonly used as decorative river stone, landscape gravel, aquarium pebbles, and by rock hobbyists for tumbling. Fine-grained quartzite is also used as crushed stone in construction.
Geological facts
Quartzite is extremely resistant to chemical weathering and physical abrasion, which is why quartz pebbles often survive long after surrounding softer rocks have completely eroded away.
Field identification & locations
Identified by its scratch-resistance (scratches glass easily), grainy sugary texture, lack of reacting to acid, and rounded river-worn shape. Found globally in alluvial deposits, riverbeds, beaches, and glaciated regions.
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