metamorphic
Quartzite river stone
Quartzite (SiO2)
Hardness: 7 (Mohs scale); Color: Tan, beige, or yellowish-brown; Luster: Dull to vitreous; Structure: Granular/crystalline; Cleavage: None (conchoidal fracture)
- Hardness
- 7 (Mohs scale)
- Color
- Tan, beige, or yellowish-brown
- Luster
- Dull to vitreous
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Physical properties
Hardness: 7 (Mohs scale); Color: Tan, beige, or yellowish-brown; Luster: Dull to vitreous; Structure: Granular/crystalline; Cleavage: None (conchoidal fracture)
Formation & geological history
Formed from the metamorphism of quartz sandstone under intense heat and pressure, often rounded through fluvial (river) erosion and transport.
Uses & applications
Used in construction as crushed stone for road beds, landscaping, and ballasts; occasionally used in ancient tools due to its hardness.
Geological facts
Quartzite is so tough that it often outlasts the surrounding rock in weathering processes, frequently forming resistant ridges or hills.
Field identification & locations
Identify by its inability to be scratched by steel and its grainy, sugary appearance despite being a dense rock. Commonly found in riverbeds and glacial deposits.
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