Picasso stone is a trade name for metamorphosed limestone from the Mineral Mountains of southwestern Utah, mostly in Beaver County. Heat, pressure and fluids linked to Tertiary igneous intrusions recrystallized the limestone into marble and filled a network of fractures with dark minerals such as graphite and iron oxides, giving black, gray, tan and cream patterns. It is also sold as Picasso marble, Painter's Marble and Picasso jasper, although it is not a jasper.

metamorphic

Picasso Stone

Also: Picasso Marble, Picasso Jasper, Painter's Marble

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Is this picasso stone?

3-step field check

Run through these checks against the specimen in your hand. The more boxes tick, the more confident the ID.

1
Read the texture
Look at a fresh break with a hand lens. Texture: Marble cut by a network of fractures filled with dark minerals.
2
Pick out the minerals
Composition: Recrystallized limestone (marble) with graphite, hematite and iron oxides in fractures. Identify the two or three most abundant grains.
3
Match the color range
Compare against the expected color range: black, gray, tan, cream.

Often confused with

Picasso Stone vs. its common look-alikes, and how to tell them apart in the field.

Often found alongside picasso stone

Minerals reported to co-occur with picasso stone. Spotting these in float or country rock is a strong cue you are in the right ground.

All properties

Colors: Black Gray Tan Cream
Uses: Decorative
Host rock: Metamorphosed limestone of the Mineral Mountains, southwestern Utah
Texture: Marble cut by a network of fractures filled with dark minerals
Composition: Recrystallized limestone (marble) with graphite, hematite and iron oxides in fractures

Where rockhounds find picasso stone

Classic worldwide localities

Mineral Mountains, Beaver County, Utah

Field-hunting tip

Where it forms: Metamorphosed limestone of the Mineral Mountains, southwestern Utah. If you start seeing graphite, hematite in float, you are in the right ground.

Common questions

Where is picasso stone found?+

Notable localities include Mineral Mountains, Beaver County, Utah.

What rocks look like picasso stone?+

Picasso Stone is most often confused with Marble. A quick hardness test and a streak check separate the look-alikes faster than color alone.

What minerals are found with picasso stone?+

Picasso Stone commonly co-occurs with Graphite, Hematite. Spotting any of these in float or country rock is a useful trip signal.

What kind of rock does picasso stone form in?+

Where it forms: Metamorphosed limestone of the Mineral Mountains, southwestern Utah. Working float back to the host body is the standard way to chase a fresh occurrence.

What is picasso stone used for?+

Picasso Stone is used in decorative.

Find picasso stone on the map

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