sedimentary

Red Sandstone

Sedimentary Quartz Arenite / Arkose

Hardness: 6-7 on Mohs scale (due to quartz grains); Color: Red, reddish-brown, pinkish (derived from iron oxide cements); Luster: Dull to earthy; Crystal structure: Clastic texture composed of sand-sized mineral particles or rock fragments; Cleavage: None (fractures around grains); Specific Gravity: 2.2-2.8

Hardness: 6-7 on Mohs scale (due to quartz grains)
Luster: Dull to earthy

Identified August 5, 2026More sedimentary →

Explore Red Sandstone in the encyclopedia →

Identify your own rocks.

Get a report just like this from any photo, free.

App Store Google Play

Physical properties

Formation & geological history

Formed from the accumulation, compaction, and cementation of mineral particles or rock fragments, typically in desert, river, or beach environments over millions of years.

Uses & applications

Used extensively in construction as a building and paving stone, decorative landscaping, and historically for monuments and sculptures.

Geological facts

The characteristic red color of many sandstones comes from iron oxide (hematite) acting as a cement between the sand grains. Famous geological formations like the American Southwest's desert monuments are carved from massive sandstone layers.

Field identification & locations

Easily identified by its gritty, sandpaper-like texture and visible sand grains. Commonly found worldwide in sedimentary basins, riverbeds, and arid regions.

Other sedimentary specimens

See all

Sandstone or Siltstone

Arenite (if sandstone)

Sedimentary

Fossiliferous Concretion

Septarian Concretion containing Brachiopods/Crinoids

fossil

Quartz pebble

Silicon dioxide (SiO2)

sedimentary

Generic Pebble / Rock Fragment

Lithic fragment / Weathered rock

sedimentary

Banded Siltstone / Mudstone Pebble

Siltstone / Argillite

sedimentary

Sedimentary Sandstone

Arenite (Sedimentary Rock)

sedimentary