What do we use quartzite for

Overview: Quartzite, which is predominantly silica, is a hard non-foliated metamorphic rock which was originally sandstone.

Sandstone is converted into quartzite through heating and pressure related to tectonic compression. It's siliceous nature makes it a perfect choice for kitchen countertops because, chemically, it has a very high resistance to anything acidic. Appearance: Pure quartzite is usually white to gray, though quartzite often occurs in various shades of pink and red due to varying amounts of iron oxide Fe2O3.

This type of rock is easily installed and require minimal maintenance. This natural stone cladding varies from the oranges and yellows to contemporary black, white and silvers. Natural stone facades will serve for years.

Quartzite can be used in landscape designs. Thanks to its rough texture and hardness, this natural stone is a great solution to create garden pathways. Its resistance helps it to withstand foot traffic, so you can use it for paving patios or balconies. Furthermore, the natural texture and colours of quartzite create amazing looks around your swimming pool. A variety of this natural stone is used to decorate outdoor spaces like large lawns, backyards or front yards.

Have a look at our exclusive quartzites. How is quartzite used in architecture and interior design? The important thing to notice is how they fit together in a tight interlocking network. The interlocking nature of the grains gives quartzite its incredible durability. Photograph by Jackdann88, used here under a Creative Commons license. The interlocking crystalline structure of quartzite makes it a hard, tough, durable rock.

It is so tough that it breaks through the quartz grains rather than breaking along the boundaries between them. This is a characteristic that separates true quartzite from sandstone. Quartzite is usually white to gray in color. Some rock units that are stained by iron can be pink, red, or purple. Other impurities can cause quartzite to be yellow, orange, brown, green, or blue. The quartz content of quartzite gives it a hardness of about seven on the Mohs Hardness Scale.

Its extreme toughness made it a favorite rock for use as an impact tool by early people. Its conchoidal fracture allowed it to be shaped into large cutting tools such as ax heads and scrapers.

Its coarse texture made it less suitable for producing tools with fine edges such as knife blades and projectile points. Obsidian , flint and agate were better suited for tools where sharpness was important. Quartzite scree: A steep slope covered with an unstable blanket of quartzite scree. Scree is a name used for resistant pieces of broken rock that cover a talus slope. This photo was taken near Begunje na Gorenjskem, Slovenia. A Creative Commons image by Pinky sl.

Most quartzite forms during mountain-building events at convergent plate boundaries where sandstone was deposited on a continental plate.

There, the sandstone is metamorphosed into quartzite by the intense pressure of a plate collision and often by deep burial. Compressional forces at the plate boundary fold and fault the rocks and thicken the crust into a mountain range. Quartzite is an important rock type in folded mountain ranges throughout the world. Catoctin Mountain is part of the Blue Ridge Mountains. The Chimney Rock Formation in this area caps many of the ridges, drapes the flanks of the mountains as scree, and is made up mostly of quartzite.

Quartzite is one of the most physically durable and chemically resistant rocks found at Earth's surface. When mountain ranges are worn down by weathering and erosion, less-resistant and less-durable rocks are destroyed, but the quartzite remains.

This is why quartzite is so often the rock found at the crests of mountain ranges and covering their flanks as large boulders, or as a surface litter of scree. Quartzite is also a poor soil-former. Unlike feldspars which break down to form clay minerals, the weathering debris of quartzite is quartz. It is therefore not a rock type that contributes well to soil formation.

For that reason it is often found as exposed bedrock with little or no soil cover. Fuchsitic Quartzite: A specimen of quartzite that contains significant amounts of green fuchsite, a chromium-rich muscovite mica. This specimen measures about 7 centimeters across and was collected from a small abandoned quarry where the flaggy rocks were produced and cut for use as decorative stones. Apply market research to generate audience insights. Measure content performance.

Develop and improve products. List of Partners vendors. Share Flipboard Email. Anne Marie Helmenstine, Ph. Chemistry Expert. Helmenstine holds a Ph. She has taught science courses at the high school, college, and graduate levels. Facebook Facebook Twitter Twitter. Updated March 25, Key Takeaways: Quartzite Rock Quartzite is a hard, nonfoliated metamorphic rock formed by the action of heat and pressure upon sandstone. Usually, the rock is white or gray, but it occurs in other pale colors.

It has a grainy, rough surface. Magnification reveals a mosaic of quartz crystals. Pure quartzite consists entirely of silicon dioxide, but usually iron oxide and trace minerals are present. Quartzite occurs in folded mountain ranges at convergent plate boundaries worldwide. Featured Video. Cite this Article Format. Helmenstine, Anne Marie, Ph. Quartzite Rock Geology and Uses.