metamorphic
Quartzite
Metamorphic Quartzite (SiO2)
Hardness of 7 on the Mohs scale, granular texture, typically white, gray, or reddish-brown due to iron oxides, vitreous to greasy luster, conchoidal fracture.
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Physical properties
Hardness of 7 on the Mohs scale, granular texture, typically white, gray, or reddish-brown due to iron oxides, vitreous to greasy luster, conchoidal fracture.
Formation & geological history
Formed through the metamorphism of quartz-rich sandstone under high temperature and pressure conditions, often in mountain-building orogenic belts.
Uses & applications
Used in construction, as crushed stone for roadbeds, in manufacturing refractory bricks, and occasionally as an ornamental decorative stone.
Geological facts
Pure quartzite is one of the most chemically inert and physically durable rocks on Earth, making it extremely resistant to weathering and erosion.
Field identification & locations
Can be identified in the field by its sugary texture, inability to be scratched by a steel knife, and the way it breaks across the quartz grains rather than around them.
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