metamorphic
Yellow Quartzite Pebble
Quartzite (SiO2)
Hardness: 7 on Mohs scale; Color: Yellowish-tan to honey-orange; Luster: Vitreous to waxy; Texture: Fine-grained, sugary (saccharoidal); Structure: Massive, water-worn/rounded.
- Hardness
- 7 on Mohs scale
- Color
- Yellowish-tan to honey-orange
- Luster
- Vitreous to waxy
Identified More metamorphic →
Explore Yellow Quartzite Pebble 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: Yellowish-tan to honey-orange; Luster: Vitreous to waxy; Texture: Fine-grained, sugary (saccharoidal); Structure: Massive, water-worn/rounded.
Formation & geological history
Formed through the regional metamorphism of quartz-rich sandstone. High heat and pressure cause quartz grains to recrystallize and fuse together. This specific specimen has been further shaped by fluvial (river) or glacial transport.
Uses & applications
Used as crushed stone for road construction, railroad ballast, and as decorative landscaping gravel. High-purity quartzite is used to produce silicon metal and glass.
Geological facts
Quartzite is so tough that it often outlasts the surrounding rock during erosion, forming resistant ridges or standing out as durable pebbles in riverbeds. It is harder than steel and will easily scratch glass.
Field identification & locations
Identify in the field by its hardness (will scratch a knife blade) and the way it breaks through quartz grains rather than around them. Commonly found in gravel pits, riverbeds, and glacial till globally.
More like this
