Puddingstone is a type of conglomerate sedimentary rock consisting of rounded, colorful pebbles embedded in a finer-grained matrix. It is highly valued by collectors for its resemblance to a pudding filled with fruit, often featuring contrasting colors between the clasts and the groundmass.

Transparency

Opaque

sedimentarycommon

Puddingstone

Also: Conglomerate, Pudding Stone

Transparency: Opaque

Is this puddingstone?

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: Rounded gravel-sized clasts in a finer matrix. Grain size: Gravel-sized clasts.
2
Pick out the minerals
Composition: Michigan puddingstone: white quartzite with pebbles of jasper and other dark inclusions. Identify the two or three most abundant grains.
3
Match the color range
Compare against the expected color range: multicolored, gray, red, white, brown.

Often confused with

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

Often found alongside puddingstone

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

All properties

Colors: Multicolored Gray Red White Brown
Transparency: Opaque
Rarity: Common
Uses: Decorative, Lapidary, Collector
Host rock: sedimentary basins
Texture: Rounded gravel-sized clasts in a finer matrix
Grain size: Gravel-sized clasts
Composition: Michigan puddingstone: white quartzite with pebbles of jasper and other dark inclusions

Where rockhounds find puddingstone

9 mapped spots

Classic worldwide localities

Michigan, USA
United Kingdom
Ontario, Canada
New England, USA

Field-hunting tip

Where it forms: sedimentary basins. If you start seeing quartz, calcite, iron oxides in float, you are in the right ground. In the U.S., the densest reported localities are in Michigan, Maryland. Start trip planning there.

Browse 9 U.S. spots for puddingstone →

Common questions

Where is puddingstone found?+

Notable localities include Michigan, USA; United Kingdom; Ontario, Canada; New England, USA.

Can I find puddingstone in the United States?+

RockHoundR maps 9 puddingstone rockhounding spots across 2 U.S. states. The top states are Michigan, Maryland.

What rocks look like puddingstone?+

Puddingstone is most often confused with Breccia, Sandstone. A quick hardness test and a streak check separate the look-alikes faster than color alone.

What minerals are found with puddingstone?+

Puddingstone commonly co-occurs with Quartz, Calcite, Iron oxides. Spotting any of these in float or country rock is a useful trip signal.

What kind of rock does puddingstone form in?+

Where it forms: sedimentary basins. Working float back to the host body is the standard way to chase a fresh occurrence.

What is puddingstone used for?+

Puddingstone is used in decorative, lapidary, collector.

Find puddingstone on the map

RockHoundR shows mapped rockhounding spots, access rules, and lets you log every find.