Materials Identification Guide

Delaware Lithic Material

 











Name Natural Non-heat treated points Heat treated points Color details Primary found in: Associated Formation / Member
Accomack Mudstone   Ranges in color from a light or medium brown to a yellowish mustard brown. Virginia, Maryland, Delaware Yorktown and Omar formation estuarine deposits
Antietam Quartzite
AKA: Erwin-Antietam Quartzite
  Ranges from bright white to light gray, tan, brown, pink, or red, a greenish brown variation is reported West Virginia, Virginia, Delaware, Maryland, Pennsylvania, Antietam Formation of the Chilhowee Group
Aquia Orthoquartzite   Ranges from white to tan,
light gray, or brown.  Finer grain can range from tan to brown, gray, yellow, or red.
Delaware, Maryland, Pennsylvania, Delaware Aquia Quartzite Formation
Argillite
(Generic type)
  Light to dark green, but may range to various shades of gray. North America Varies
Beasley Bay Jasper   Ranges from a mustard yellow to a brownish yellow or red. Virginia, Maryland, Delaware Kent Island Formation
Brandywine Blue Gneiss
AKA: Wilmington Blue Rock
  Ranges from a bright blue to a bluish gray. Delaware, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Maryland Brandywine Blue Gneiss Formation of the Wilmington Complex
Broad Run Chalcedony
AKA: Wissahickon Chalcedony
  Ranges in color from a mottled white to light gray or cream to yellow.  Black specks are present through the material. Virginia, Delaware, Maryland Wissahickon Formation
Catoctin Greenstone
AKA: Catoctin Metabasalt
  Ranges from a green to a greenish gray or gray. Virginia, West Virginia, Maryland, Pennsylvania, Delaware Catoctin Formation
Catoctin Metarhyolite
AKA: Highland Metarhyolite
  Ranges from a gray to a  bluish gray, blue, or purple.  Banding, mottling, or breccia with a tannish color may be present. West Virginia, Virginia, Delaware, Maryland Catoctin Formation
Cecil Black Chert
AKA: Newark Chert
Ranges from a medium gray to black Delaware, Maryland, Pennsylvania Newark Gabbro Formation
Columbia Formation Quartzite   Ranges from a yellowish brown to a reddish brown. Delaware, Maryland Columbia Formation
Crystal Quartz   clear colorless stone similar to clear glass Eastern North America  
Cuesta Quartzite   Ranges in color from pale grayish brown, pink, or reddish. Delaware, New Jersey  
Hardyston Chalcedony   Semi translucent milky white to light blue or light to gray. Maryland, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Delaware Hardyston Formation
Hardyston Jasper
AKA: Berks Jasper, Lehigh Jasper, Pennsylvania Jasper
  Ranges from a dark golden yellow to a bright red or dark brown with mottling as well as tiny veins of clear to white translucent chalcedony. Maryland, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Delaware Hardyston Formation
Hardyston Quartzite   Ranges from a milky white to light blue to a light yellowish brown or gray. Maryland, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Delaware Hardyston Formation
Heath Farm Jasper
AKA: Delmarva Peninsula Jasper
  Ranges from a brownish to dark brownish black. Delaware, Maryland, Pennsylvania  
Iron Hill Jasper
AKA: Newark Jasper
  Ranges from a mottled mustard yellow to brown, dark brown, brownish black, and red.  Delaware, Maryland, Pennsylvania Newark Gabbo Formation
Mogothy Quartzite
AKA: Magothy Quartzite
  Ranges in color from gray to bluish gray or purple, banding or mottling may be present.  Small fossils may give a peppered appearance. Virginia, Delaware, Maryland Mogothy Formation
Onodaga Chert
AKA: See page
Vary from light to dark gray to a mottled bluish gray to a dark brown or black or tan. West Virginia, Virginia, Delaware, Maryland (see page for full list) Onondaga Limestone Formation
Orthoquartzite
(Generic type)
  Varies North America Varies
Quartz   Milky white with thin veins
North America  
Quartzite   Varies from white to gray, or pink and tan in color North America  
Rhyolite   Gray to grayish black, flow banding may be present alternating from light to darker gray Eastern North America  
Wissahickon Quartzite / Vein Quartz   gray quartzite with milky white veins of quartz. Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Maryland, Delaware Wissahickon Formation