metamorphic
Quartzite with Quartz Veining
Metamorphic Quartzite (SiO2)
Hardness 7 on Mohs scale. Color ranges from tan, brown, to whitish quartz veins. Vitreous to dull luster, granoblastic texture, tough and resistant to weathering.
Identified More metamorphic →
Explore Quartzite with Quartz Veining in the encyclopedia →Identify your own rocks.
Get a report just like this from any photo, free.
Physical properties
Hardness 7 on Mohs scale. Color ranges from tan, brown, to whitish quartz veins. Vitreous to dull luster, granoblastic texture, tough and resistant to weathering.
Formation & geological history
Formed through the metamorphism of quartz-rich sandstone under intense heat and pressure deep within the Earth's crust, often intersected by hydrothermal quartz veins.
Uses & applications
Used in construction as crushed stone, ballast, and decorative landscaping rock. Sometimes used in rock tumbling.
Geological facts
Quartzite is so hard and durable that when it breaks, it fractures through the individual quartz grains rather than along the boundaries between them.
Field identification & locations
Can be identified by its inability to be scratched by a steel blade and its sugary-to-smooth texture. Commonly found in riverbeds, glacial deposits, and mountainous metamorphic terrains.
More like this
