sedimentary
Quartz Pebble
Silicon dioxide (SiO2)
AI-generated identification · may be incorrectHardness of 7 on the Mohs scale, typically brown to translucent, vitreous luster, trigonal crystal system, and lacks cleavage.
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Physical properties
Hardness of 7 on the Mohs scale, typically brown to translucent, vitreous luster, trigonal crystal system, and lacks cleavage.
Formation & geological history
Formed through the mechanical weathering and water transport of larger quartz-bearing rocks, smoothing into a rounded pebble in fluvial or marine environments.
Uses & applications
Used in landscaping, decorative gravel, aggregate in construction, and general lapidary work.
Geological facts
Quartz is one of the most abundant and durable minerals in Earth's continental crust, highly resistant to both chemical and physical weathering.
Field identification & locations
Easily identified by its high hardness (scratches glass), conchoidal fracture on broken surfaces, and smooth water-worn shape found in riverbeds and beaches.
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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
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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