metamorphic
Pink Quartzite
Metaquartzite (SiO2)
AI-generated identification · may be incorrectHardness 7 on Mohs scale; pale pink to reddish-buff color; vitreous to dull luster; granoblastic texture without cleavage.
Identified More metamorphic →
Explore Pink Quartzite in the encyclopedia →Identify your own rocks.
Get a report just like this from any photo, free.
Physical properties
Hardness 7 on Mohs scale; pale pink to reddish-buff color; vitreous to dull luster; granoblastic texture without cleavage.
Formation & geological history
Formed by heat and pressure recrystallizing quartz-rich sandstone in regional metamorphic or contact environments.
Uses & applications
Used widely as crushed stone in construction, railway ballast, landscaping gravel, and decorative stone.
Geological facts
Quartzite is so tough that it breaks through constituent quartz sand grains rather than around them. The pink coloration usually comes from trace iron oxide inclusions.
Field identification & locations
Identify in the field by its extreme hardness (scratches glass easily) and sugary, interlocking crystalline fracture surface. Commonly found in stream beds, glacial drift, and mountainous crags.
More like this
