Quartzite: what it is, its origin and its most common uses

Quartzite is a metamorphic rock composed mainly of quartz and has a hardness of seven on the Mohs scale. At Click&FindStone we are going to tell you more about it. From its formation to its origin, revealing its most common uses and its main differences with other stones. Ready to discover everything about quartzite?

What is quartzite and what is its composition

As we have well commented at the beginning, quartzite is a fairly hard metamorphic rock formed from the recrystallization of quartz, from a sandstone protolith. In addition, the quartzite can present small amounts of muscovite, orthose or albite, for example.

Regarding its color, quartzite is mainly white, but it can be affected by iron oxide (creating red or pink spots), dark minerals (giving it gray touches), other types of impurities can give it orange, brown and even green touches. .

Finally, regarding its formation, the metamorphic transformation is caused by high pressures and temperatures, also by tectonic movements or by contact.

What is the origin of quartzite

If we go back to the beginnings of humanity, we can talk about quartzite as a stone used to make tools in the Paleolithic.

This stone was also used in the construction of tombs, among the most representative, that of Napoleon. And currently, it has been used to repair the façade of the Valencia History Museum.

The most common uses of quartzite

Quartzite can be seen mainly in construction, but it is also a great choice for countertops. We tell you more about its main uses:

• Coatings and facades: One of its most used applications due to its great hardness and insulation, without forgetting its beautiful finishes.
• Pavements: It is also very common to see quartzite outdoors such as garden patios due to its great resistance.
• Countertops: Because of their daily use, countertops need a durable, strong, and heat-resistant material.

For this reason, quartzite is a great option, it has the elegant veins of marble and the resistance of granite. The perfect combination.

3 Differences between quartzite and granite

If you don’t know what differentiates quartzite from granite, let us tell you some points to take into account when making the decision to choose one or the other:

• Composition: The first difference we find is that while granite is an igneous rock, quartzite is a metamorphic stone.
• Texture: Taking into account that quartzite is the result of the recrystallization of quartz, this stone has a more homogeneous texture than granite.
• Hardness: We have added this point since we also want to analyze it in the following comparison, but we can say that both stones are similar in terms of hardness.
• Maintenance: Quartzite resists better the use of chemical products when in the case of granite, care must be taken due to the possible loss of shine, for example.

3 Differences between quartzite and marble

In our previous article we already talked to you in depth about what marble is and what it is made of, now we are going to make a small comparison between the two materials so that you can make a list and end up choosing the one that best suits what you are looking for:

• Composition: Although both are metamorphic stones, quartzite is produced by the recrystallization of quartz and marble by the recrystallization of limestone.
• Texture: As with granite, quartzite has a more homogeneous texture than marble.
• Hardness: If we take into account the ability to withstand impacts, we can say that quartzite can resist better than marble.
• Maintenance: Quartzite, as happens with granite, resists the use of chemical products better than in the case of marble.

Why choose quartzite over other options

If you have come this far and still do not see the vast advantages that quartzite offers you over other stones, let us tell you about some advantages:

• Its variety of colors: from gray scale to reddish, green, yellow, etc. You can choose the one that best suits your space.
• Great resistance: It withstands chemical agents that may come into contact well (such as cleaning products) and also has great resistance to high temperatures.
• Great insulator: Quartzite does not absorb moisture and is also said to have great properties as an acoustic insulator.

And here our blog article on quartzite. You already know a little more about its composition, its origin or some of the differences with other types of stones, and its advantages. You can see all the quartzite stone finishes that we have in our online quartzite catalog with real stock and available for purchase. We have the largest online stock of natural stone in Spain at Click&FindStone.