sedimentary
Quartz Pebble
Silicon dioxide (SiO2)
AI-generated identification · may be incorrectHardness of 7 on the Mohs scale, typically yellow to orange-brown due to iron staining, waxy to vitreous luster, and conchoidal fracture.
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 yellow to orange-brown due to iron staining, waxy to vitreous luster, and conchoidal fracture.
Formation & geological history
Formed through the physical weathering and long-distance aqueous transport of quartz veins or parent rock, smoothing sharp edges into rounded pebbles over long periods.
Uses & applications
Used in landscaping, decorative gravel, abrasive manufacture, and as a durable aggregate in construction.
Geological facts
Quartz is one of the most abundant and stable minerals on Earth's surface, resisting chemical weathering far longer than most other minerals.
Field identification & locations
Easily identified in the field by its high hardness (scratches glass), lack of cleavage, and smooth water-worn shape; found globally in riverbeds, beaches, and sedimentary deposits.
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