sedimentary
Quartz pebble
Silicon dioxide (SiO2)
AI-generated identification · may be incorrectHardness of 7 on the Mohs scale, typically brown or tan due to staining, vitreous to dull luster, conchoidal fracture, specific gravity of 2.65.
Identified More sedimentary →
Explore Quartz pebble in the encyclopedia →Identify your own rocks.
Get a report just like this from any photo, free.
Physical properties
Hardness of 7 on the Mohs scale, typically brown or tan due to staining, vitreous to dull luster, conchoidal fracture, specific gravity of 2.65.
Formation & geological history
Formed through the mechanical weathering and prolonged aqueous transport of older parent rocks, smoothing angular quartz into rounded clasts over millions of years.
Uses & applications
Used in landscaping, decorative gravel, aggregate in concrete production, and as a tumbling specimen for amateur rock collectors.
Geological facts
Quartz is one of the most abundant and chemically resistant minerals in Earth's continental crust, allowing it to survive weathering cycles that destroy other minerals.
Field identification & locations
Identified by its high hardness, inability to be scratched by steel, and lack of cleavage. Commonly found in riverbeds, beaches, and conglomerate sedimentary rock formations worldwide.
More like this
Other sedimentary specimens
Fossil-bearing concretion, possibly containing a fossil shell or other organic inclusion
Calcareous concretion; exact fossil and host-rock composition are not identifiable from the image
fossil
Fossiliferous Sedimentary Rock
Sedimentary limestone with invertebrate fossil imprint
fossil
Sandstone or Siltstone
Arenite (if sandstone)
Sedimentary
Sandstone
Arenite
sedimentary
Shale
Shale (clastic sedimentary rock)
sedimentary
Shale (or Mudstone/Siltstone)
Sedimentary Mudrock (SiO2, Al2O3 base with clay minerals)
sedimentary