Materials Identification Guide

Georgia Lithic Material

 











Name Natural Non-heat treated points Heat treated points Color details Primary found in: Associated Formation / Member
Allendale Chert
(Coastal Chert)
Primarily tan to brown in various shades of "earth tones".
Southeastern Georgia  
Andesite
Generic Type
    North America Varies
Argillite
(Generic Type)
  Light to dark green, but may range to various shades of gray. North America Varies
Armuchee Chert
AKA: Horse Leg, From Mountain Chert
(Ridge and Valley Chert)
Black to dark or medium gray Northwestern Georgia Frog Mountain Formation
Bangor Chert
(Ridge and Valley Chert)
Translucent and banded, ranging in color from black to a dark bluish gray or greenish Northern Georgia Bangor Limestone Formation
Bangor Limestone
AKA: Colbert County Limestone
  Medium gray Northern Georgia Bangor Limestone Formation
Black Mingo Chert   Mottled white, light tan, and gray. Southeastern Georgia Lang Syne Formation of the Black Mingo Group
Blushing Star Coral
(Species type)
  Ranges from grayish white to gray with darker "star burst" patters present. Southwestern Georgia Tampa Formation
Box Fire Coral
(Species type)
  Encrusted base with thick walled box like structure forming upward. Southwestern Georgia Tampa Formation
Brain Coral
(Species type)
  Brain like shape with ridges and deep interconnected double valleys. Southwestern Georgia Tampa Formation
Brier Creek Chert
AKA: Stoney Bluff Chert
Ranges in color from white to cream, tan, and gray with mottling commonly present. Southeastern Georgia  
Carnelian
(Generic Type)
  Translucent and varies in shades from reddish brown to reddish orange. North America Varies
Chattahoochee Chert
(Coastal Chert)
Ranges from brown to a creamy tan with dark gray, black, and bluish white also occurring.  Clear chalcedony and mottling commonly occurs.  Southeastern Georgia Chattahoochee Limestone Formation
Chepultepec Chert
Knox Chert Variant
(Ridge and Valley Chert)
Ranges from yellow to white and oolitic Northern Georgia Chapultepec Member of the Knox Formation
Chickamauga Chert
(Ridge and Valley Chert)
Ranges from a brownish black to a black in bedded limestone, but ranges to a drab olive green in limestone boulders. Northwestern Georgia Chickamauga Limestone Formation
Clayton Chert
(Coastal Chert)
Ranges from yellow to brown, though white may occur. Southwestern Georgia Clayton Formation of the Midway Group
Conasauga Chert
(Ridge and Valley Chert)
Most commonly a light bluish gray to tan or silver, rarely reds do occur.    Commonly mottled and is oolitic.  May be very chalcedonic Northwestern Georgia Conasauga Formation
Copper Ridge Chert
Knox Chert variant
(Ridge and Valley Chert)
Ranges in color from medium to dark gray to black Northern Georgia Copper Ridge Member of the Knox formation
Crystal Quartz   clear colorless stone similar to clear glass Eastern North America  
Flint River Chert
AKA: Butterscotch Chert
(Coastal Chert)
Ranges from a yellowish brown to a medium brown. Southern Georgia  Flint River Formation, Vicksburg Group
Fort Payne Chert
AKA: Iuka Chert, Lauderdale Chert
  Ranges in color from black to a grayish blue, or white to a bluish white.  Bluish gray is the predominate color with bluish hues Northern Georgia Fort Payne Formation
Fossilized Coral
AKA: Agatized Coral, Silicified Coral, Coral Chalcedony
(Generic Type)
  Ranges from clear to white, grayish blue, brown, tan, or yellow.  Starburst patterns or banding may be present. Southwestern Georgia Tampa Formation
Georgiates   Translucent olive green. East central Georgia Chesapeake Bay Impact
Glendon Chert
(Coastal Chert)
Ranges from white to a creamy tan or brown with dark gray, black, and bluish white also occurring.  Clear chalcedony and mottling commonly occurs.  Southwestern Georgia Glendon Limestone Formation, Vicksburg Group
Ketona Chert
Knox Chert variation
Light gray Northwestern Georgia Ketona Dolomite Member of the Knox Formation
Knox Chert   Dark blue to bluish gray with translucent mottling.  Red Knox Chert has a reddish color with slight mottling. Northern Georgia Knox Formation
Lenoir Chert Dark Gray Northern Georgia Lenoir Limestone Formation
Lisbon Chert
AKA: McBean Chert, Silicified Chert Hash
(Coastal Chert)
Ranges from red to yellow or cream to blue.  Mottling or striping may be present.  Jasper and chalcedony also occur in this formation. Central Georgia Lisbon Limestone Formation of the Clairbourn Group
Little River Metadacite   Opalescence bluish gray quart weathering to a crusty tannish white. East central Georgia Little River Volcanics Series
Longview Chert
Knox variation
Primarily reddish, but white to gray colors do occur Northwestern Georgia  Longview Member of the Knox Formation
Marianne Chert
AKA: Mint Springs Marl
Ranges from a white to cream color Southwestern Georgia Mint Springs Marl Member of the Marianna Limestone Formation, Vicksburg Group
Mountainous Star Coral
Orbicella Faveolata
(Species type)
  Solid, very large dome or stumped shaped with small lumps, bulges, or lobes. Southwestern Georgia Tampa Formation
Mustard Chert
(Fort Payne variant)
Ranges from a  tannish yellow and olive color to a bluish black and commonly has strings of bryozoan fossils forming a "string of beads". Northwestern Georgia Ft Payne Formation
Newala Chert
(Ridge and Valley Chert)
Ranges in color from black to gray, white to faint purple with bands of smoky gray to olive green Northwestern Georgia Newala Limestone Formation
Ocala Chert
AKA: Jackson Stage Chert
(Coastal Chert)
Ranges in color from a a white to a cream or tan, yellow, red, and black colors also occur.  Fossil inclusions commonly occur.  Southern Georgia Ocala Limestone Formation, Jackson Group.
Orthoquartzite
(Generic Type)
  Ranges from white to tan, red green, brown, or black. North America Varies
Petrified Wood
AKA: Agatized Wood, Opalized Wood
  Vary in color based on the minerals present during the process North America Varies
Quartz
AKA: Vein Quartz
  Milky white with thin veins
North America Varies
Quartzite
(Generic Type)
  Varies from white to gray, or pink and tan in color North America Varies
Randall Creek Petrified Wood   Shades of cream, tan, and brown with wood grain or rings commonly present. West central Georgia  
Rhyolite
(Generic Type)
  Gray to grayish black, flow banding may be present alternating from light to darker gray North America Varies
Savannah River Agate Ranges from a light grayish brown or grayish white to a yellowish brown with vugs and mottling commonly present East central Georgia  
Shady Chert Ranges from a bluish gray to a yellowish gray blue, or white with mottling commonly present.  Northern Georgia Shady Dolomite Formation
Staghorn Coral
(Species type)
  Cylindrical branches Southwestern Georgia Tampa Formation
Suwannee Chert
(Coastal Chert)
Ranges from brown to a creamy tan with dark gray, black, and bluish white also occurring, chalcedony, mottling, or banding may occur.  J Southern Georgia Suwannee Limestone Formation, Vicksburg Group
Tallahatta Quartz
AKA: Tallahatta Sandstone, Snowflake Quartzite
  Light gray arenite with white specks giving a snowflake appearance. Southwestern Georgia Tallahatta Formation, Clairborne Group
Tampa Chert Ranges from a yellow to a tan or brown with medium to dark gray also occurring.  Chalcedony or quartz filled vugs are commonly present.. Southwestern Georgia Tampa Limestone 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
Tuscaloosa Chert
AKA: Red / Yellow Jasper
Ranges in color from white, tan, yellowish tan to yellow or brown, and red.  Mottling is not present Northwestern Georgia Tuscaloosa Gravel Formation
Tuscumbia Chert
AKA: Carmack Chert
  Ranges from light to dark gray Northwestern Georgia Tuscumbia Limestone Formation
Withlacoochee Chert
Suwannee Chert variation
Ranges from a dark gray to a reddish brown in a grainstone fabric. Southern Georgia Suwannee Limestone Formation, Vicksburg Group