metamorphic
Quartzite
Quartzite (primarily SiO2)
Hardness: 7 on Mohs scale; Color: white, grey, or reddish/pink due to iron oxide; Luster: vitreous to dull; Crystal structure: Non-foliated, granular; Specific Gravity: 2.6-2.7
- Hardness
- 7 on Mohs scale
- Color
- white, grey, or reddish/pink due to iron oxide
- Luster
- vitreous to dull
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Physical properties
Hardness: 7 on Mohs scale; Color: white, grey, or reddish/pink due to iron oxide; Luster: vitreous to dull; Crystal structure: Non-foliated, granular; Specific Gravity: 2.6-2.7
Formation & geological history
Formed through the metamorphism of quartz-rich sandstone under intense heat and pressure, usually at convergent plate boundaries. It can date back to any geological era from Precambrian to Cenozoic.
Uses & applications
Commonly used as crushed stone for road construction, railway ballast, and in the manufacturing of glass and ceramics. Also used as decorative stone and for floor tiles.
Geological facts
Quartzite is so hard and chemically resistant that it often forms the crests of mountain ridges and resistant hilltops because it weathers much more slowly than surrounding rocks.
Field identification & locations
Identify in the field by its inability to be scratched by a steel knife and its tendency to break across the quartz grains rather than around them (unlike sandstone). Found globally in mountainous regions.
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