sedimentary
Puddingstone (Polished Pebble)
Conglomerate (Quartz-rich)
Hardness: 6-7 on Mohs scale. Color: Mix of pink, reddish-brown, tan, gray, and white quartz pebbles. Luster: Vitreous to waxy when polished. Structure: Clastic conglomerate with rounded pebbles in a fine-grained matrix.
- Hardness
- 6-7 on Mohs scale
- Luster
- Vitreous to waxy when polished
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Physical properties
Hardness: 6-7 on Mohs scale. Color: Mix of pink, reddish-brown, tan, gray, and white quartz pebbles. Luster: Vitreous to waxy when polished. Structure: Clastic conglomerate with rounded pebbles in a fine-grained matrix.
Formation & geological history
Formed through sedimentary processes where rounded pebbles of various composition (often jasper, quartz, and chert) were cemented together by fine silt, sand, or silica matrix over millions of years, often during the Proterozoic era.
Uses & applications
Popular for lapidary arts, tumbling, jewelry making, decorative gravel, and rock collecting.
Geological facts
Famous varieties like the Michigan Puddingstone consist of bright red jasper pebbles embedded in white quartzite. Tumbled specimens smooth out nicely to reveal colorful embedded clasts.
Field identification & locations
Identified by rounded, pebble-like inclusions embedded in a solid matrix. Commonly found along lake shores, riverbeds, and glacial till, particularly around the Great Lakes region and the UK.
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