Red silicified coral is a fossilized coral where the original skeletal structure has been replaced by microcrystalline quartz. Collectors often look for the distinct honeycomb or star-patterned pore structures that reveal the original coral polyps when polished.
Is this red silicified coral?
5-step field checkRun through these checks against the specimen in your hand. The more boxes tick, the more confident the ID.
- 1Test the hardnessTry to scratch red silicified coral with a known reference. Red Silicified Coral sits at Mohs 6.5-7, softer than the next harder reference, harder than the previous one.
- 2Check the streakDrag the specimen across an unglazed porcelain plate. Red Silicified Coral leaves a white streak.
- 3Read the lusterHold the specimen under a strong light. Red Silicified Coral typically shows a vitreous luster.
- 4Match the color rangeCompare against the expected color range: red, brown, orange, white.
- 5Look at form & habitCrystal system: trigonal. Typical habit: pseudomorphous.
Often confused with
Red Silicified Coral vs. its common look-alikes, and how to tell them apart in the field.
Often found alongside red silicified coral
Minerals reported to co-occur with red silicified coral. Spotting these in float or country rock is a strong cue you are in the right ground.
All properties
- Chemical formula
- SiO₂
- Mohs hardness
- 6.5-7
- Density
- 2.6-2.7 g/cm³
- Streak
- White
- Luster
- Vitreous
- Transparency
- Translucent
- Crystal system
- Trigonal
- Crystal habit
- Pseudomorphous
- Cleavage
- None
- Rarity
- Common
- Uses
- Lapidary, Collector, Decorative, Jewelry
- Host rock
- Sedimentary Marine Deposits
- Typical price
- $10-100 per specimen
Where rockhounds find red silicified coral
1 mapped spotsClassic worldwide localities
- Florida, USA
- Tampa Bay, USA
- Indonesia
- Georgia, USA
Field-hunting tip
Look in sedimentary marine deposits country, the host setting where red silicified coral typically forms. If you start seeing quartz, calcite, chalcedony in float, you are in the right ground. Field specimens usually show a pseudomorphous habit, so train your eye for that shape before scanning the outcrop. In the U.S., the densest reported localities are in West Virginia. Start trip planning there.
Common questions
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Find red silicified coral on the map
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