metamorphic
Veined Limestone (or Quartz-Veined Slate/Shale)
Metamorphosed Sedimentary Rock with Calcite/Quartz Veins
Hardness 3-7 depending on host matrix vs vein composition; Color is dark gray/black host rock with prominent white intersecting veins and iron-oxide staining; Luster is dull to vitreous; Cleavage is irregular to sub-conchoidal.
Identified More metamorphic →
Explore Veined Limestone (or Quartz-Veined Slate/Shale) in the encyclopedia →Identify your own rocks.
Get a report just like this from any photo, free.
Physical properties
Hardness 3-7 depending on host matrix vs vein composition; Color is dark gray/black host rock with prominent white intersecting veins and iron-oxide staining; Luster is dull to vitreous; Cleavage is irregular to sub-conchoidal.
Formation & geological history
Formed through tectonic stress and regional or contact metamorphism where hydrothermal fluids carrying dissolved minerals (like calcite or quartz) filled fractures in dark sedimentary host rock, crystallizing over millions of years.
Uses & applications
Used predominantly as crushed stone, construction aggregate, decorative landscaping rock, and educational specimens showing brittle deformation features.
Geological facts
The crisp white lines across the dark matrix are mineral veins (often calcite or quartz) that record the history of structural cracking and fluid circulation deep within the Earth's crust.
Field identification & locations
Look for the striking contrast between a fine-grained, dark grey to black host matrix and crisp, cross-cutting white veins that do not align with original bedding planes. Found globally in mountain belts and metamorphic terrains.
More like this
