metamorphic
Quartzite
Metamorphic Quartzite (SiO2)
Hardness: 7 on Mohs scale. Color: Pale pinkish-brown to salmon pink. Luster: Vitreous to dull. Texture: Granular, sugary appearance, highly rounded pebble.
- Hardness
- 7 on Mohs scale
- Color
- Pale pinkish-brown to salmon pink
- Luster
- Vitreous to dull
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Physical properties
Hardness: 7 on Mohs scale. Color: Pale pinkish-brown to salmon pink. Luster: Vitreous to dull. Texture: Granular, sugary appearance, highly rounded pebble.
Formation & geological history
Formed through the metamorphism of quartz-rich sandstone under intense heat and pressure, causing quartz grains to recrystallize and interlock firmly. Commonly found in stream beds, beaches, and glaciated regions after natural erosion.
Uses & applications
Used as decorative garden stone, aggregate in construction, railway ballast, and occasionally for lapidary work such as tumbling and carving.
Geological facts
Because quartzite is composed almost entirely of quartz, it is extremely resistant to chemical and physical weathering, allowing pebbles like this one to survive long transport distances in rivers and ocean shores.
Field identification & locations
Identified by its sugary granular texture and high hardness (scratches glass easily, cannot be scratched by a steel knife). Commonly found along riverbeds, lake shores, and glacial deposits globally.
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