metamorphic
Quartzite Pebble with Feldspar Vein
Quartzite (SiO2) with Feldspar (KAlSi3O8)
Hardness 7 on Mohs scale, waxy to dull luster, milky white to light grey with a tan/pinkish feldspar vein, fine-grained microcrystalline texture, rounded river-worn pebble shape.
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Physical properties
Hardness 7 on Mohs scale, waxy to dull luster, milky white to light grey with a tan/pinkish feldspar vein, fine-grained microcrystalline texture, rounded river-worn pebble shape.
Formation & geological history
Formed through the regional metamorphism of quartz sandstone under intense heat and pressure, recrystallizing quartz grains. Later fractured and filled with micro-veins, then weathered and smoothed by stream or glacial action.
Uses & applications
Commonly used as decorative river rock, landscaping aggregate, and as educational specimens illustrating rock cycles and vein intrusion.
Geological facts
Quartzite is so hard that when struck with a hammer, it breaks through the constituent quartz grains rather than along the boundaries between them.
Field identification & locations
Look for a smooth, hard pebble that easily scratches steel or glass. Commonly found along riverbeds, lakeshores, and glacial till deposits worldwide.
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