metamorphic
Quartzite Pebble
Metamorphic Quartzite
Hardness: 7 on Mohs scale; Color: Light brownish-tan with white vein-like networks or frosty patches; Luster: Vitreous to dull/waxy; Structure: Granoblastic, non-foliated fused quartz grains; Specific Gravity: 2.6-2.7
- Hardness
- 7 on Mohs scale
- Luster
- Vitreous to dull/waxy
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Physical properties
Hardness: 7 on Mohs scale; Color: Light brownish-tan with white vein-like networks or frosty patches; Luster: Vitreous to dull/waxy; Structure: Granoblastic, non-foliated fused quartz grains; Specific Gravity: 2.6-2.7
Formation & geological history
Formed through the regional metamorphism of quartz-rich sandstone under intense heat and pressure, causing quartz grains to recrystallize into an interlocking mosaic. Later smoothed and rounded by river or wave action.
Uses & applications
Commonly used as decorative landscaping stones, aggregate in construction, aquascaping, and as lapidary specimens for tumbling and polishing.
Geological facts
Quartzite is so durable that when it breaks, the fracture cuts through the individual quartz grains rather than along the boundaries between them, unlike sandstone.
Field identification & locations
Identified by its extreme hardness (scratches glass easily) and sugary to fused glassy appearance on smooth surfaces. Very common in alluvial deposits, riverbeds, and beach gravels worldwide.
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