metamorphic
Quartzite Pebble
Metamorphic Quartz (SiO2)
Hardness: 7 (Mohs scale); Color: White, cream, or translucent yellowish; Luster: Vitreous to waxy; Texture: Smooth, water-worn, and rounded; Cleavage: None (conchoidal fracture visible in chips)
- Hardness
- 7 (Mohs scale)
- Color
- White, cream, or translucent yellowish
- Luster
- Vitreous to waxy
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Physical properties
Hardness: 7 (Mohs scale); Color: White, cream, or translucent yellowish; Luster: Vitreous to waxy; Texture: Smooth, water-worn, and rounded; Cleavage: None (conchoidal fracture visible in chips)
Formation & geological history
Formed from the metamorphism of quartz sandstone under intense heat and pressure. This specific specimen has been further shaped and smoothed by fluvial or coastal transport (water erosion) over thousands of years.
Uses & applications
Used primarily as decorative landscaping stone, in construction aggregates, and occasionally as a tumbling stone for lapidary hobbies.
Geological facts
Quartzite is so durable that it often outlasts the mountains it comes from, ending up as pebbles in rivers and on beaches long after the original rock formation has eroded away.
Field identification & locations
Identify by its hardness (will scratch glass), lack of reaction to acid, and sugary or crystalline internal texture compared to the smooth exterior. Common in riverbeds and glacial deposits globally.
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