Red silicified coral is a fossilized coral where the original skeletal structure has been replaced by microcrystalline quartz.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 — that is 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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