metamorphic
Red Quartzite
Metamorphic Quartzite (SiO2)
Hardness: 7 on Mohs scale; Color: Reddish-brown to purple; Luster: Vitreous to dull; Crystal structure: Trigonal (microcrystalline); Cleavage: None, often demonstrates concoidal or splintery fracture.
- Hardness
- 7 on Mohs scale
- Color
- Reddish-brown to purple
- Luster
- Vitreous to dull
Identified More metamorphic →
Explore Red Quartzite 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: Reddish-brown to purple; Luster: Vitreous to dull; Crystal structure: Trigonal (microcrystalline); Cleavage: None, often demonstrates concoidal or splintery fracture.
Formation & geological history
Formed through the metamorphism of quartz-rich sandstone under extreme heat and pressure. The reddish hue is typically due to the presence of hematite or other iron oxides during formation.
Uses & applications
Used primarily as decorative stone, in construction as crushed stone or ballast, and as a raw material for silica-based manufacturing.
Geological facts
Quartzite is so hard and chemically resistant that it often forms the caps of hills and ridges because it resists weather better than the rocks around it.
Field identification & locations
Identify in the field by its ability to scratch glass and its grainy, sandpaper-like texture that has been fused into a crystalline mass. Common in mountainous regions with ancient continental crust.
More like this
