Colorado Lithic Material
Name | Natural | Non-heat treated points | Heat treated points | Color details | Primary found in: | Associated Formation / Member |
Agate Jasper | Ranges from yellow to brown or green. Part if the material will be banded and be translucent while the remaining material will be mottled and opaque. | Colorado | ||||
Algal Chert Tiger Chert variation |
Streaked ranging from most commonly a light gray to light brown, less commonly a very light gray to black or a very light brown to a very dark brown | Northwestern Colorado | Bridger Formation | |||
Alibates Chert | Mottled color from most commonly reds, yellows, and oranges in iron rich areas to blues and dark greens | Southeastern Colorado | Quartermaster Formation | |||
Amazon (Colorado) Jade Amazonite / Feldsar |
Ranges from a bluish green to green | Central Colorado | ||||
American Nettie
Quartzite Dakota Quartzite variant |
Southwestern Colorado | American Nettie Member of the Dakota Quartzite Formation | ||||
Arkansas River Agate | Southeastern Colorado | |||||
Arroyo Penasco Chert | White | South central Colorado | Arroyo Penasco Formation | |||
Austin Bluff Agate / Carnelian | Agate is mottled and ranges from rich red and brown color. Carnelian is a is cherry red | East central Colorado | ||||
Badger Creek Chert | Colorado | |||||
Bald Mountain Dactite / Rhyolite | Central Colorado | |||||
Baldy Hill Jasper AKA: Cimarron River Jasper |
Mottled color from most commonly varying shades of reds and yellows. | Southeastern Colorado | Baldy Hill Formation | |||
Barger Gulch Chert | Similar to chalcedony with a translucent base with hues ranging from white to light yellow. Black dendritic, starburst inclusions are present. . | Central Colorado | Troublesome Formation | |||
Basalt | Ranges from black to gray | Colorado | Volcanic | |||
Beulah Chert | Mottled with colors of red, gray, buff, and purple | Colorado | Beulah Formation | |||
Black Forest
Silicified Wood AKA: Bijou Basin and Elizabeth Petrified Wood |
Layered and banded with colors of tan, beige, brownish gray, and brown or a butterscotch colored jasper with large dark brown mottling and visible wood grain. | Central Colorado | Dawson Formation | |||
Blanco Basin Mudstone | Primarily a reddish brown, but may range to red, maroon, purple green or gray, mottling may be present | South central Colorado | Blanco Basin Formation | |||
Browns Park Chert | Similar to chalcedony with a opaque base of white and translucent hues ranging from light yellow, light to dark gray or light brown. | Northwestern Colorado | Browns Park Formation | |||
Brushy Basin Chert | Banded, white in color with pastel shades of tan, pink, green, and orange with banded or swirls of darker shades of brown, reddish brown, or gray. | Southwestern Colorado | Brushy Basin Member of the Morrison Formation | |||
Brushy Basin Quartzite | South central Colorado | Brushy Basin Member of the Morrison Formation | ||||
Buffalo Peaks Chert | Ranges in color from from yellowish tan color with linear black to gray inclusions | Central Colorado | Troublesome Formation | |||
Burro Canyon Chert | Variegated ranging from white to yellow, tan to medium brown, light to medium gray, light to medium green or shades of red with algae banding or other fossils. | West central Colorado | Upper Burro Canyon Formation | |||
Burro Canyon Quartzite | Ranges from off white to tan light gray or light green. May have mottling of darker gray. | West central Colorado | Upper Burro Canyon Formation | |||
Castle Rock Petrified Wood | Central Colorado. | |||||
Charma Jasper | Mottled mustard yellow with intrusions of white quartz. | Southwestern Colorado | ||||
Cherry Creek
Petrified Wood AKA: Running Creek Petrified Wood |
Shades of reds, browns, and whites | Central Colorado | ||||
Coal Creek Metaquartzite | Ranges from white to light gray or pink | Central Colorado | Coal Creek Formation | |||
Cripple Creek Turquoise AKA: Hidden Treasure Turquoise |
Central Colorado | |||||
Cumbres Pass Chert | Ranges in color from an opaque mottled white gray to tan. Chalcedony inclusions are throughout the chert matrix. | Southwestern Colorado | ||||
Curio Hill Agate | Banded agate | Central Colorado | ||||
Dakota Quartzite AKA: Dakota Orthoquartzite |
Ranges in color from reds to browns | Central to eastern Colorado | Dakota Formation | |||
Dawson Petrified Wood AKA: Elizabethan, Parker, Cherry Creek Petrified Wood |
Ranges from a yellowish tan with clear or white linear inclusions to a reddish tan with dark tan inclusions | Central to northeastern Colorado | Dawson Formation | |||
Del Norte Plume Agate AKA: Embargo Plume Agate |
Banded clear matrix with golden or orangish yellow plumes. | Southwestern Colorado | ||||
Douglas Mountain Jasper AKA: Cross County Jasper, Tank Peak Jasper |
Northwestern Colorado | Morgan Formation | ||||
Elimia Agate AKA: Turritella Agate |
Black to brownish gray or brownish black matrix with light gray snail shells. | Northwestern Colorado | Green River Formation | |||
Emmons Peak Quartzite AKA: Uinta Quartzite |
Ranges from an off white to a red or reddish purple. | Northwestern Colorado | Emmons Formation | |||
Empire Gulch Rhyolite | White with many small clear sharp quartz crystals | Central Colorado | ||||
Flattop Butte
Chalcedony AKA: Flattop Mesa Chalcedony |
Ranges from opaque white to translucent lavender with specks of blue and pink. | Northeastern Colorado | Chadron capstone | |||
Florissant Petrified Wood | Central Colorado | Florissant Formation | ||||
Fremont Chert | Ranges in color including red, pink, purple, buff, brown, yellow, gray, blue, and white. Mottling, banding, speckles, and veins may be present. | Central Colorado | Fremont Formation | |||
Gilson Gulch Opalescent | Blue and yellow | North central Colorado | ||||
Gunnison River Chalcedony / Jasper | Light blue chalcedony | Southwestern Colorado | Dakota Sandstone Formation | |||
Hall Turquoise | Fair blue color with veins of darker material | Southwestern Colorado | ||||
Hardscrabble Chert | Ranges from a cream to a tan or orange, banded lavender, gray, and purple and solid white chert also occurs. | Central Colorado | Hardscrabble Formation | |||
Hartville Chert AKA:Hartville Uplift Chert, Hartville Uplift Jasper |
Ranges from most commonly colors and hues of yellow, orange, red, brown, and purple with black mottling and dendrites common | Northeastern Colorado | Hartville Formation | |||
Hartville Quartzite AKA: Hartville Uplift Quartzite |
Ranges from white to a light to medium gray, tan or red, white streaking may be present. | Northeastern Colorado | Hartville Formation | |||
Holiday Springs Moss Agate | Matrix that ranges from a translucent brown, gray or whitish or an opaque white with black dendritic inclusions | Northeastern Colorado | White River Group | |||
Holy Cross Turquoise | Blue in color | Central Colorado | ||||
Hot Sulfur Springs Agate / Petrified Wood | Cloudy | Northwestern Colorado | ||||
Kalouse Jasper / Petrified Wood | Commonly has concentric banding, ranges from medium brown, yellow, brown, or purple. Rarely bright orangish red or off white occurs. | Northeastern Colorado | Ingleside Formation, White River Group | |||
Kimball Chert | Ranges from tannish off white to tan or light brownish gray. Commonly has dendritic inclusions. | Northeastern Colorado | Ogallala Formation | |||
King Mine Turquoise AKA: Manassa Turquoise |
Ranges from a pale blue to a strong sky blue or bluish green to green with golden and brown color mottling and veinlets and irregular masses. | Southwestern Colorado | ||||
Kiowa Creek Agate / Carnelian | Northeastern Colorado | |||||
Kiowa Creek Petrified
Wood AKA: Bijou Creek Petrified Wood |
Northeastern Colorado | |||||
Kremmling Chert AKA: Troublesome Chert |
base of white and hues ranging from light yellow, light gray or light brown, slight mottling or banding and black dendritic inclusions may be present | North central Colorado | Troublesome Formation | |||
La Garita Creek Chalcedony | South central Colorado | |||||
Larkspur Egyptian Jasper / Carnelian / Ribbon Agate / Petrified Wood | Central Colorado | |||||
Last Chance Turquoise | Northwestern Colorado | |||||
Leadville Chert | Ranges from a dark gray to black | West central Colorado | Leadville Limestone Formation | |||
Leadville Turquoise AKA: Josie May Turquoise |
West central Colorado | Leadville Limestone Formation | ||||
Manassa Turquoise AKA: King's Manassa |
Ranges from a brownish green to green with dark brownish yellow to black mottling | South central Colorado | ||||
Middle Park Moss Agate / Petrified Wood | Northwestern Colorado | |||||
Morgan Chert AKA: Morgan - Maddison Chert, Morgan Jasper |
Has colors of orange to a pumpkin orange, reds, yellowish "mustard" brown to a reddish brown. | Northwestern Colorado | Morgan Formation | |||
Morrison - Cloverly Porcellanite AKA: Morrison - Clovery Chert |
Variegated with colors ranging from gray to blue or red and yellow. Commonly mottled and streaked by fossilized roots and burrows. | North central Colorado | Morrison and Cloverly formations | |||
Morrison - Cloverly Quartzite AKA: Morrison - Cloverly Orthoquartzite |
Ranges from a tan to brown or purple to maroon or gray. | Western Colorado | Morrison and Cloverly formation | |||
Morrison Silicified Sandstone | Commonly mottled and ranges in shaded of maroon, green, tan, and brown. | Western Colorado | Brushy Basin Member of the Morrison Formation | |||
Morrison Mudstone | Commonly mottled and ranges in shaded of maroon, green, tan, and brown. | Southwestern Colorado | Burro Canyon Formation / Brushy Basin Member, Morrison Formation | |||
Morrison Chert | Commonly mottled and ranges in shaded of maroon, green, tan, and brown. | Southwestern Colorado | Burro Canyon Formation / Brushy Basin Member, Morrison Formation | |||
Mount Sopris Jasper /
Jasp-Agate AKA: Sopris Jasper |
Ranges from a orangish red to red, dark red, yellow, tan, grayish tan to a dark brown jasper with red to sardonyx jasp agate | West central Colorado | ||||
Nugget Sandstone | Ranges from buff to pink. | Northwestern Colorado | Chug Water Formation of the Thrust Belt | |||
Obsidian AKA: Volcanic Glass |
Black to black with bands of dark reds (mahogany obsidian) or white flakes (snowflake obsidian) | Colorado | Volcanic | |||
Ogallala
Orthoquartzite AKA: Bijou Hills Silicified Sediment and Sugar Rock |
Colors can vary, but most common colors are light to dark gray, tan, white, pink, maroon, or golden | Eastern Colorado | Ogallala Formation | |||
Ogallala Silicified
Sediment AKA: Ogallala Chert |
Ranges from a buff to a reddish color or gray. Quartz inclusions form speckles in the material. | Eastern Colorado | Ogallala Formation | |||
Opal Hill Opal / Chalcedony | Primarily milky white with black, brown, and pea green occurring | West central Colorado | ||||
Opal Hill Petrified Wood | Primarily milky white with black, brown, and pea green occurring | West central Colorado | ||||
Parker Petrified Wood AKA: Cherry Creek Petrified Wood, Moore Ranch Petrified Wood |
Ranges from a yellowish tan with clear linear inclusions to a reddish tan with dark tan inclusions. | Central Colorado | ||||
Pawnee Grassland Quartzite | Ranges in color from a pinkish to a yellowish tan. | Northeastern Colorado | Pawnee Creek Bed Formation | |||
Petrified Wood AKA: Agatized Wood, Opalized Wood |
Vary in color based on the minerals present during the process | Colorado | Varies | |||
Pinon Mesa Petrified Wood | Colors of brown, tan and brownish yellow with "wood grain" and rings being present. | West central Colorado | ||||
Poncha Pass Agate / Jasper | Blue agate | Southwestern Colorado | ||||
Ptarmigan Chert AKA: Manitou Chert |
Occurs in colors of pink, red, orange, tan yellow, brown, gray and white. Mottling or speckle or inclusions may also be present. | Central Colorado | Ptarmigan Chert Member, Manitou Limestone Formation | |||
Red Creek Quartzite Uinta Quartzite variant |
Very crystalline white quartzite. | Northwestern Colorado | ||||
Rhyolite | Gray to grayish black, flow banding may be present alternating from light to darker gray | North America | Volcanic Activity | |||
Round Valley Chert | Ranges from gray to a bluish gray. | Northwestern Colorado | Round Valley Formation | |||
Saint Stephens Stone | Whitish translucent chalcedony with red spots | Central Colorado | ||||
Salt Works Cloudy Agate / Moss Agate, Petrified Wood, Opalitic Jasper | Central Colorado | |||||
Salt Works Chalcedony | Ranges from a lavender to a blue. | Central Colorado | ||||
San Luis Valley Plume Agate | South central Colorado | |||||
Sawatch Quartzite | White to a ferruginous red | Central Colorado | Sawatch Formation | |||
Silicified Dinosaur Bone | Colorado | |||||
Sowbelly Agate | Quarter inch alternating bands of brown, purplish brown and white. Has light purple, blue, brown, amethyst with galena or silver inclusions. | West central Colorado | ||||
St. Stephens Stone Banded Agate |
Central Colorado | |||||
Summerville Chert | Two variations. One is black chert and the other is a white opalitic chert. | West central Colorado | Summerville Formation | |||
Table Mountain Chert / Jasper | Exhibits orange and red coloring with clear veins | North central Colorado | Troublesome Formation | |||
Table Mountain Opal | Ranges from red to a reddish brown or brownish orange. | Central Colorado | ||||
Table Mountain
Petrified Wood AKA: Green Mountain Petrified Wood |
Central Colorado | |||||
Thirtyone Mile Mountain Chalcedony | Light blue banded chalcedony | Central Colorado | ||||
Tiger Chert AKA: Bridger Basin, Green River, Oil Chert, Zebra Chert, Shavetail Chert |
Primarily dark brown with wide tan banding. If the material is smaller, the tan could be primary with the darker brown bands. | Northwestern Colorado | Bridger Formation | |||
Tomichi Chert | Mottled bluish gray color weathering brown. | Southwestern Colorado | Tomichi Limestone Formation | |||
Trout Creek Chert / Jasper | Ranges from a dusky red to a yellowish brown with inclusions or lines forming intricate patters are commonly present.. | Central Colorado | Manitou or the Fremont Formation | |||
Tuff AKA: Solidified Volcanic Ash |
Contains greater than 75 volcanic ash and ranges from white to tan, gray or pink. | North America | Volcanic activity | |||
Turritella Agate AKA for Elimia Agate |
Black to brownish gray or brownish black matrix with light gray snail shells. | Northwestern Colorado | Green River Formation | |||
Upper Rio Grande Jasper / Opal | Mottled yellow color with inclusions of varicolored opal. | South central Colorado | ||||
Wagon Wheel Gap Carnelian | Clear and variegated | South central Colorado | ||||
Wamsutter Oolitic Chert AKA: Green River Oolitic Chert |
Ranges from an off white to a medium brown with white oolitic specks throughout the material | Northwestern Colorado | Green River Formation | |||
White River Group
Silicate Generic type |
Ranges from light to medium gray, to a light brown, pink, blue or lavender with inclusions, splotches, mottling. | Northeastern Colorado | White River Group | |||
Willow Creek Chalcedony / Carnelian | North central Colorado | |||||
Willow Creek Ribbon Jasper | North central Colorado | |||||
Williams Canyon Chert | Ranges from grayish white to gray. | Central Colorado | Williams Canyon Limestone Formation | |||
Williams Fork Moss Agate | Central Colorado | |||||
Windy Ridge Quartzite | Ranges in color from a yellowish tan to a rosy pink or a grayish silver. Gray undertones may be present. | Central Colorado | Dakota Quartzite | |||
Wolf Creek Pass Sagenitic Agate | South central Colorado | Treasure Island Rhyolite Formation |