Quartzite

Quartzite is a hard metamorphic rock formed when quartz-rich sandstone recrystallizes under heat and pressure. Its interlocking quartz grains make it resistant to weathering and fracture.

Quartz: Quartz is a silicon dioxide mineral common in igneous, sedimentary, and metamorphic rocks. Quartz grains dominate quartzite and recrystallize into its interlocking texture.
Quartz Arenite: Quartz arenite is sandstone containing at least 90 percent quartz grains. This quartz-rich sandstone is a common precursor to quartzite.
Dimension Stone: Dimension stone is natural rock quarried and cut to specified sizes for construction or decoration. Quartzite is quarried as a durable building and facing stone.
Metaquartzite: Metaquartzite is a metamorphic rock composed predominantly of recrystallized quartz. The term emphasizes the metamorphic origin of quartzite.
Sandstone: Sandstone is a sedimentary rock composed mainly of sand-sized mineral or rock fragments. Quartzite forms when quartz-rich sandstone is altered by heat and pressure.
Pressure Solution: Pressure solution dissolves minerals at stressed grain contacts and may redeposit them in less-stressed spaces. It can help compact and reshape quartz-rich grains during metamorphism.
Aggregate: Aggregate is granular material, such as crushed stone or sand, used in construction. Crushed quartzite can provide hard, durable aggregate for construction.
Orthoquartzite: Orthoquartzite is a strongly cemented quartz sandstone whose grains remain sedimentary rather than metamorphically recrystallized. It is a frequent naming ambiguity: some geologists use “quartzite” for this sedimentary rock.
Metamorphism: Metamorphism is the solid-state transformation of rock through changes in temperature, pressure, or fluid chemistry. It supplies the conditions that transform sandstone into quartzite.
Grain Boundary: A grain boundary is the interface where two crystals meet. Quartzite’s interlocking grain boundaries contribute to its strength and fracture patterns.

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