Florida rock hound questions

[Salura]

I have some of what I'm told is "Limestone Quartz." I didn't think quartz could be naturally occurring in Florida (I thought my "rock" was brought in by a previous tenant).

Another Florida rock question is concerning "chert." I'm told another one of my rocks is chert. All this time I thought it was just a neat rock. I know chert is used for napping points, but what geological conditions do you look for when seeking chert?

Thanks in advance!

 

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[EricTheCat]

I have some of what I'm told is "Limestone Quartz." I didn't think quartz could be naturally occurring in Florida (I thought my "rock" was brought in by a previous tenant).

Another Florida rock question is concerning "chert." I'm told another one of my rocks is chert. All this time I thought it was just a neat rock. I know chert is used for napping points, but what geological conditions do you look for when seeking chert?

Thanks in advance!

Limestone and quartz are two different things. Limestone is calcium based while quartz is its own (silicon based) mineral. Perhaps they were saying you have a piece of limestone with pockets of quartz in it?

Chert, along with flint, jasper and chalcedony are all forms of micro-crystalline quartz with differing amounts of other trace minerals. I cannot help you with Florida geology but I do know all of those forms of quartz can be found around Minnesota almost anywhere you find gravel. Here they formed as nodules inside a softer host rock and have been broken free from the softer material mostly by glacial activity.

Someone familiar with Florida geology may be able to give more details for your area and what to expect.

Happy hunting,
Eric