Quartzite Gemstone: Properties, Meanings, Value & More

Quartzite is a rock almost entirely composed of quartz that comes in many colors. Is quartzite a gemstone? Yep, quartzite can be used in gemstone jewelry among other ornamental uses.

You’ve probably heard of quartz, which is often (incorrectly) used interchangeably with quartzite.

What is the difference between quartz and quartzite? Well, quartzite contains quartz, but the primary difference between quartz vs quartzite is that quartz is a mineral and quartzite is a rock. Rocks don’t have a set composition, as they’re made of multiple minerals.

Is quartzite rare? Yes – there are only a few quarries with significant quartzite deposits.

Today, we’ll go over all of quartzite’s properties and uses, along with its meaning, price, and history.

About Quartzite Stone

Quartzite is a semi-precious stone that can be used as an April birthstone. The name “quartzite” has a few meanings, though.

Most often, geologists say “quartzite” referring to metamorphic rocks almost entirely composed of quartz. In the past, geologists refer to sedimentary rocks mostly composed of quartz. These are now called “quartz arenite” to avoid confusion.

Quartzite Uses

Perhaps the most popular use of quartzite is in architecture, particularly countertops. Quartzite slabs are quite resistant to scratches, acid etching, and heat.

Other industrial uses include:

• Sourcing silica for metallurgy

• Creating silica brick

• Paving roads and railroads

• Shoreline protection (riprap)

• Roofing

All these beneficial uses for quartzite are because of its geological properties.

Quartzite Specifications & Characteristics

As a rock, quartzite’s composition can slightly vary. But it’s almost entirely quartz a.k.a. silica, silicon dioxide, or SiO2. The predominant quartz makeup means quartzite’s hardness sits around 7 on the Mohs hardness scale.

This metamorphic rock is coarse-grained, meaning the granular minerals are visible without magnification. It’s also non-foliated, lacking layers or banding.

Most quartzite stones are white, gray, or pink, often with black or brown specks.

The stone’s tenacity (resistance to breaking) and stability (resistance to chemicals, temperature changes, humidity, and light) are both good.

List of quartzite properties:

• Mohs hardness: Around 7

• Color: Usually gray or white; Often shades of red or pink; Can be yellow, green, orange, or blue

• Crystal structure: Trigonal

• Luster: Dull, greasy, waxy, or vitreous (glassy)

• Transparency: Translucent to opaque

• Refractive index: 1.544-1.553

• Density: 2.64-2.69

• Cleavage: None

• Fracture: Conchoidal or granular

• Streak: White

• Luminescence: None

• Pleochroism: None

• Birefringence: 0.009

• Dispersion: None

• Optical effects: Sometimes aventurescence

That aventurescence effect is seen in the most well-known type of quartzite: aventurine.

Pictured above: "Galaxy" aventurine cabochon

Types of Quartzite

The main variety of quartzite is aventurine or aventurine quartz. This rock, often mistaken for a mineral, is usually green but comes in other hues like pink, orange, blue, and more.

Aventurine is most known for its metallic glittering surface (an effect called aventurescence or schiller) caused by tiny platelets of inclusions like mica.

Other quartzite stones may be named for their color — like “green quartzite” — or the minerals that give them that color — like the fuchsite in “fuchsitic quartzite.”

Pictured above: Funerary Figure of Akhenaten. Date: ca 1353–1336B. C, New Kingdom, Amarna Period, Dynasty 18, reign of Akhenaten. Made of red quartzite.

Quartzite Gemstone Meaning & History

Quartzite’s spiritual properties and meanings generally tie to the stone’s color. For example, green quartzite’s spiritual meaning relates to growth, tranquility, and compassion. Meanwhile, the meaning of yellow quartzite ties to happiness, creativity, and fresh starts.

The name “quartzite” comes from its quartz content and the suffix -ite, comes from the Greek ites meaning “stone.”

Evidence of humans using quartzite for tools goes back over a million years. Though other stones like obsidian and chalcedony were usually preferred for cutting tools, quartzite was common for impact tools.

As mentioned earlier, the requirements for a rock to be quartzite have changed over time. The first distinction came in 1941 when geologists found quartzite-like rocks that weren’t metamorphic, naming these rocks “orthoquartzite” or “quartz arenite.” As of 1999, the British Geological Survey classifies quartzite as a metamorphic rock that’s at least 80 percent quartz.

The more modernly popular use of quartzite, countertops, started in the 1960s. Italian inventor Marcello Toncelli first patented quartz and resin slabs for countertops in 1963, naming the process “Bretonstone.”

Though quartzite isn’t as abundant as quartz, some areas with notable quartzite deposits have even been named for them, like Quartzsite, Arizona.

Enough geology, what does quartzite do spiritually?

Quartzite Healing Properties

Like its meanings, quartzite’s properties as a healing stone partly depend on its color. Green quartzite’s healing properties match other green gemstones, offering vitality, hope, and growth. Purple gemstones like purple quartzite can bring spiritual wisdom and intuition.

Energy healing with quartzite chakra stones is versatile: yellow quartzite opens the solar plexus, purple quartzite opens the crown, green or pink quartzite opens the heart, and blue quartzite opens the throat chakra.

Physical Healing

Purported physical quartzite benefits include treating:

• Hyperactivity

• Brain fog

• PTSD

• Arthritis

Emotional Healing

Emotionally, quartzite is said to encourage new beginnings, helping you stay calm and balanced during big life transitions. It may also encourage optimism, relieve sadness, and boost confidence.

Some crystal healers recommend only using quartzite as a healing stone alone, not with other stones.

Pictured above: Ring made from silver, found iron stamped with "ALPHA +" and white quartzite stone.| Image credit: the justified sinner, Flickr

Quartzite Gemstone Properties

Quartzite gemstone jewelry is not nearly as common as quartz jewelry, but it’s valued on similar properties like its color, cut, transparency, and treatments.

Color

The most common quartzite colors are white and gray, followed by shades of red and pink from iron oxide minerals like hematite. Other minerals can produce colors like yellow, orange, blue, or green. Some quartzite stones may have accents of these colors from smaller but diverse amounts of these mineral inclusions.

The most common color of aventurine, green, comes from fuchsite. Iron stains produce pink or red aventurine, while dumortierite inclusions lead to blue aventurine.

Cut

You may see faceted quartzite beads, but fully faceted cuts aren’t common for quartzite. Besides beads, quartzite gemstones are cut into cabochons or carvings. More intricate or elaborate shapes are more valuable.

Transparency

The majority of quartzite stones are opaque. Therefore, more translucent specimens carry higher value for their scarcity and beauty.

Treatments

Quartzite and its aventurine variety may be dyed to produce more desirable greens and other bright colors. The stone may also be impregnated with resin for stability and stain protection.

Treated stones are generally less valuable and their treatments should be identified by the seller.

Image credit: James St. John | Creative Commons Attribution 2.0 Generic license

Quartzite Formation & Sources

Quartzite starts as sandstone, which is made up of compressed sand-size grains. This sandstone is buried underground, where heat and pressure recrystallize the grains. The grains then merge into a denser, stronger rock of interlocking quartz grains.

In a nutshell, quartzite forms when quartz-rich sandstone undergoes metamorphism.

Most quartzite formed at convergent plate boundaries when two landmasses converged, forming mountains and depositing the sandstone onto a continental plate. The collision leads to the sandstone being buried, providing the heat and pressure required for it to metamorphose into quartzite.

This is why quartzite is often found in folded mountain ranges.

Mining Locations

The primary quartzite sources are Krivoy Rog, Ukraine, and Lake Superior, USA. Many quartzite deposits are in the Appalachian Mountains of North America, which go through 13 US states and 5 Canadian provinces:

• Alabama

• Georgia

• Kentucky

• Maryland

• Mississippi

• New York

• North Carolina

• Ohio

• Pennsylvania

• South Carolina

• Tennessee

• Virginia

• West Virginia

• Newfoundland and Labrador

• Saint Pierre and Miquelon

• Québec

• Nova Scotia

• New Brunswick

Other quartzite deposits are found in:

• Argentina

• Brazil

• Canada

• Chile

• China

• Colombia

• India

• Mexico

• Peru

• Spain

• Russia

• USA (Utah, Idaho, South Dakota, Texas, Minnesota, Wisconsin, Arizona)

Now, how much is quartzite worth?

Pictured above: Fuchsitic quartz | Image credit: James St. John | Creative Commons Attribution 2.0 Generic license

Quartzite Price & Value

While quartzite is slightly more expensive than quartz, it’s still an affordable gemstone.

Quartzite cabochons are generally around $1 per carat or lower.

Beaded quartzite jewelry like bracelets or necklaces are typically $3 to $10 each. Carved quartzite charms can be $2 to $5 each.

If we’re talking about countertops, quartzite countertops are roughly $70 to $200 per square foot, compared to about $60 to $150 per square foot for quartz countertops.

More intricate carvings can be pricier, from $40 to $100.

Quartzite jewelry may also be more expensive based on the value of the metals used.

Quartzite Care and Maintenance

Good news: gemstone care for quartzite is super easy. You can easily clean quartzite stones with mild soap, warm water, and a soft toothbrush.

For treated stones, avoid:

• Ultrasonic cleaners

• Steam cleaners

• Harsh chemicals (e.g. household cleaners)

Store quartzite jewelry separately from other gems to avoid scratches to either.

Make A Fresh Start in Quartzite Jewelry!

Quartz may be the standard, but quartzite is a rarer, unique stone with earthy beauty. Whether you want the eye-catching sparkle of aventurine or the subtle charm of light pink quartzite, quartzite jewelry can help you start anew and turn heads while you’re at it.

Browse our collection of beautiful gemstones today!