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natural history page title
Identifying rocks, minerals and fossils

Introduction
What is a rock?
What is a mineral?
What is a fossil?
Rock, mineral or 
    fossil?

Rock key
    Sedimentary
   
Igneous

   
Metamorphic
        Marble / 
            quartzite

       
Crystal band 
            key

       
Gneiss / 
            schist

       
Layers key
       
Slate
       
Unknown 
         metamorphic


   
Unknown
Mineral key
Fossil key
Helpful books

  
Marble & quartzite
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image of green marble

Your specimen could be either marble or quartzite. Both are metamorphic rocks which formed during the recrystallisation of different parent rocks.

Marble forms when limestone is put under intense heat and pressure (usually during mountain building or where tectonic plates meet). The limestone recrystallises, destroying any fossils that were present in the original rock. Marble is often white, but can be other colours according to the impurities present, and is often used as a decorative stone in buildings or to create statues.

Quartzite is formed when sedimentary rocks made up of quartz (often sandstones which are very quartz rich) are heated and recrystallise. Quartzite is made up of tightly interlocking grains of quartz and any structures in the rock, such as bedding (visible layers or sediment which were laid down in beds) are usually destroyed. One way to tell if your rock is marble or quartzite is to drop some dilute hydrochloric acid (available in rock and mineral shops) onto it: marble fizzes but quartzite doesn't.