metamorphic
Quartzite with Quartz Veining
Quartzite (SiO2)
Hardness: 7 on Mohs scale; Color: Grayish-tan with white crystalline bands; Luster: Dull to vitreous; Structure: Granular/Massive; Cleavage: None (conchoidal fracture).
- Hardness
- 7 on Mohs scale
- Color
- Grayish-tan with white crystalline bands
- Luster
- Dull to vitreous
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Physical properties
Hardness: 7 on Mohs scale; Color: Grayish-tan with white crystalline bands; Luster: Dull to vitreous; Structure: Granular/Massive; Cleavage: None (conchoidal fracture).
Formation & geological history
Formed through the metamorphism of quartz sandstone under intense heat and pressure, causing the constituent quartz grains to recrystallize and fuse together. The white banding represents a secondary quartz vein deposited by hydrothermal fluids.
Uses & applications
Used primarily as crushed stone for road construction, railway ballast, and occasionally as decorative landscaping stone due to its durability.
Geological facts
Quartzite is so tough that it usually breaks through the quartz grains rather than along their boundaries, unlike its parent rock sandstone. It is extremely resistant to chemical weathering.
Field identification & locations
Identify in the field by its extreme hardness (it will easily scratch steel) and its sandy but fused texture. Often found in glaciated regions as erratic cobbles or in mountainous metamorphic belts.
