sedimentary
Quartz Sand Gravel
Silicon Dioxide (SiO2)
AI-generated identification · may be incorrectHardness: 7 on Mohs scale; Color: primarily clear, white, or tan; Luster: vitreous (glassy); Crystal structure: Hexagonal/Trigonal; Specific gravity: 2.65
- Hardness
- 7 on Mohs scale
- Color
- primarily clear, white, or tan
- Luster
- vitreous (glassy)
Identified More sedimentary →
Explore Quartz Sand Gravel in the encyclopedia →Identify your own rocks.
Get a report just like this from any photo, free.
Physical properties
Hardness: 7 on Mohs scale; Color: primarily clear, white, or tan; Luster: vitreous (glassy); Crystal structure: Hexagonal/Trigonal; Specific gravity: 2.65
Formation & geological history
Formed through the weathering and erosion of igneous and metamorphic rocks like granite. These particles are typically transported by water or wind and deposited as sediment.
Uses & applications
Used in glass manufacturing, water filtration, concrete production, and as an abrasive material in industrial sandblasting.
Geological facts
Quartz is the second most abundant mineral in Earth's continental crust. These small grains represent the final stages of a rock's breakdown before it becomes fine sand.
Field identification & locations
Identify by its hardness (scratches glass) and lack of cleavage. Common in riverbeds, beaches, and glacial deposits 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