metamorphic
Quartzite with Quartz Vein
SiO2 (Metamorphosed Quartz Sandstone)
Hardness: 7 on Mohs scale; Color: Pinkish-brown to gray host rock with a distinct milky white quartz band; Luster: Dull to vitreous; Texture: Granular, sugary quartzite matrix cut by a vein; Cleavage: None (conchoidal to irregular fracture).
- Hardness
- 7 on Mohs scale
- Luster
- Dull to vitreous
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Physical properties
Hardness: 7 on Mohs scale; Color: Pinkish-brown to gray host rock with a distinct milky white quartz band; Luster: Dull to vitreous; Texture: Granular, sugary quartzite matrix cut by a vein; Cleavage: None (conchoidal to irregular fracture).
Formation & geological history
Formed when quartz-rich sandstone underwent intense heat and pressure during regional metamorphism. Fractures in the metamorphic rock later filled with silica-rich hydrothermal fluids that crystallized into a quartz vein.
Uses & applications
Used as decorative garden stone, landscaping gravel, aggregate in construction, and as a popular specimen for rockhounding and educational collections.
Geological facts
Rocks like this are often referred to by collectors as 'wishing stones' or 'banded pebbles' due to the continuous unbroken white quartz ring encircling the cobble.
Field identification & locations
Identified by its hard, sugary surface that scratches glass easily and the prominent, lighter-colored mineral vein cutting through it. Extremely common in glacial till, riverbeds, and gravel pits across North America.
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