Materials Identification Guide

Texas Lithic Material

 












Name                    

Natural                                                  
Non-heat treated points                            Heat treated points                               Color details                    Primary found in:     Associated             Formation / Member
1604 Chert
Edwards Chert variation
Ranges from a gray to medium brown with tints of pink or light maroon commonly present. South central Texas Edwards Limestone Formation
Abo Sandstone   Laminated sandstone that ranges from a tan to a dark red or purple West Texas Abo Sandstone Formation
Agate Jasper
(Generic Type)
  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. Western Texas  
Aleman Ribbon Chert Ranges from a dark gray to white or red.  Chalcedony occurs as veins, bird eye like vugs, and fossil replacement.  Western Texas Aleman Member of the Montoya Formation
Alibates Agatized Dolomite
AKA: Alibates Flint
  Primarily banded, speckles, or mottled with colors commonly ranging from red, blue, purple, brown, cream, and white. Northern Texas Quartermaster Formation
Allamoore Ribbon Chert   Western Texas Allamoore Formation
Andesite
Generic Type
    North America Varies
Apple Ranch Chert Brown Western Texas Apple Ranch Limestone Member of the Word Formation
Argillite
(Generic type)
  Light to dark green, but may range to various shades of gray North America  
Balmorhea Blue Agate
AKA: Toyah Agate
  Ranges from a light blue gray to a dark blue gray, lavender, and white with bands of slight gray to lighter blues. Western Texas  
Bangor Agate
AKA: St. Louis
    Northeastern Texas  
Basalt
(Generic Type)
  Ranges from black to gray Western North America  
Big Bend Moss Agate
AKA: Big Bend Plume Agate
  Matrix that ranges from white to a clear blue or carnelian with brown green, red, or orange plumes or dendritic inclusions. Southwestern Texas  
Big Bend  Petrified Wood   Shades of brown with wood grain and rings present. Southwestern Texas  
Big Bend Yellow Jasper   Commonly a mottled yellow with reds occurring. Southwestern Texas  
Brazos River Chert
AKA: Brazo River Pebble Chert, Mineral Wells Chert
Most commonly light colored but green, black, yellow, and red, banding may occur. East central Texas Mineral Wells Formation
Brushy Creek Chert
Edwards Chert variation
Slightly translucent and ranges in color from black to a dark medium gray. East central Texas Edwards Plateau Limestone Formation 
Bug-eyed Agate   Colors of clear, white, green, blue, and pink.  Eyes. tubes, dendrites and fortifications are present. Southwestern Texas  
Burro Mesa Chert Colors from whites to grays, grays to blue,  pinks and reds, and tan to yellow.  It can be solid, mottles, or banded. Southwestern Texas  
Butterscotch Chert Ranges from a light brown to a dark yellowish brown. Southwestern Texas  
Caballos Novaculite
AKA: Santiago Chert
  Primarily white.  However, the upper and middle layers range from a banded multi color white, light green, light red, and light browns. Western Texas Caballos Novaculite Formation
Camp Colorado Chert Ranges from a dark grayish black to black. Eastern Texas Camp Colorado Limestone Member of the Pueblo Formation
Canadian River Plume Agate   Plumes of red, black, and yellow. Northern Texas  
Cannel Coal   Ranges from a dark gray to black Texas  
Canutillo Chert
AKA: Texas Oil Chert
Ranges from a mottled light brown to dark brown or black.
Western Texas Canutillo Limestone Formation
Carnelian
(Generic Type)
  Translucent and varies in shades from reddish brown to reddish orange. North America Varies
Catahoula Petrified Wood   Includes petrified elm, oak, hickory, and palm wood and contains shades of white, brown, cream, and tan with wood grain or rings present. Southeastern Texas Catahoula Formation
Cienega Brown Chert   Ranges from a cream or tan to a yellowish or orangish brown. Southwestern Texas  
Chickachoc Chert Ranges in color from a rich tan to a grayish brown or black. Northern Texas Chickachoc Chert Member of the Wapanucka Formation
Cowhouse Chert   Most common color is white ranging to gray or brown.  Speckles, mottled, streaking, and fossiliferous hash, novaculite and petrified wood. East central Texas Cowhouse gravels
Cow Plop Chert
AKA: Scarborough Ranch Chert
Gray to brown East central Texas  
Dacite
Generic Type
  Most commonly a light to dark gray or black Western North America Varies
Dakota Quartzite
AKA: Dakota Orthoquartzite
  Ranges in color from reds to browns Northwestern Texas Dakota Formation
Day Creek Chert Ranges from a mottled very light pale blue to a grayish blue or a reddish blue.  Tan and brown mottling or streaking may be present Northwestern Texas Day Creek dolomite of the Cloud Chief formation
Devil's River Chert
AKA: Santa Elena Cahert
  Ranges from a light gray to light brown and may be brecciated. Southwestern Texas Devils River Limestone Formation
Dimple Hills Chert Black Southwestern Texas Dimple Hills Limestone Formation 
Edwards Plateau Chert   Ranges in color from most commonly light gray to brown or a medium gray.  May have numerous short linear fossil inclusions. Central Texas Edwards Limestone Formation
El Sauz Chert   Predominantly light to medium gray may exhibiting mottling of pink, red, yellow, orange, purple, green and light browns.  Southern Texas Catahoula Formation
Ellenburger Chert Ranges from white to a light yellow or light gray. Central Texas Ellenburger Limestone Formation
El Paso Chert Ranges from a medium light gray to olive gray dolomite to a light tan to gray or olive gray with reddish or bluish streaks occasionally present. Western Texas El Paso Limestone Formation
Etholen Chert Ranges from gray to a light pinkish gray, black, or dark purple with darker colors being the most common. Western Texas Etholen Conglomerate Formation
Evant Chert Ranges from a whitish gray to a medium gray.  Mottling with shades of brown may be present. Central Texas  
Felsite
(Generic Type)
  Generally white to light gray or reddish or tan with darker speckles being present. Texas  
Fire Engine Jasper   Red Eastern Texas Brazos River Gravels
Florence Chert - Type A
AKA: Kay County Chert, Maple City Chert
Banded or "wood grained" and ranges in color from a buff to a yellow gray.  Heat treatment produces a red color. Northeastern Texas Florence Limestone Member, Barnestone Formation, Permian Group
Florence Chert - Type B Ranges in color from a steel gray to a bluish gray with lighter colored splotches or darker colored mottling. Northeastern Texas Florence Limestone Member, Barnestone Formation, Permian Group
Florence Chert - Type C Homogenous gray Northeastern Texas Florence Limestone Member, Barnestone Formation, Permian Group
Florence Chert - Type D
AKA: Flint Hills Chert
Ranges from gray to a buff with many thin bands of darker translucent material.  Northeastern Texas Florence Limestone Member, Barnestone Formation, Permian
Fort Hood Chert
Edwards Chert variation
Ranges from a brownish yellow to light to dark gray, banding or speckles may be present. Central Texas Edwards Limestone Formation
Fort Pena Chert Ranges from shades of purple, red, and blue Western Texas Fort Pena Formation
Fusselman Dolomite / Chert Ranges from a light gray to an olive gray or brownish gray. Western Texas Fusselman Dolomite Formation
Georgetown Chert
AKA: Texas Tortilla Chert

  Varying shades of gray. Central Texas Georgetown Member of the Edwards A Formation
Guadalupe River Gravel Chert Varies in color based on the formation that the chert was originally formed, highest concentration is Edwards Chert.  Southeastern Texas Guadalupe River Gravels
Hamilton County Chert
Ranges from a light brown to a light brownish gray or light yellowish gray, mottling may be present. Central Texas  
Heiner Lake Chert
Edwards Chert variation
Ranges from a tan to a light blue or blue. Central Texas Edwards Limestone Formation
Lenora Park Chert Light gray Central Texas  
Leon River Chert Wide range of colors including shades of brown, gray, and white. Northeastern Texas Leon River Gravels (various formations)
Leonard Chert Yellowish Western Texas Leonard Formation
Llano River Chert Wide range of colors including shades of brown, gray, and white. Central Texas Llano River Gravels
Manning Fused Glass   Colors of grayish white, black, red, and purple. Eastern Texas Manning Formation
Maravillas Chert
AKA: Maravillas Gap Chert, Canyon Chert
Ranges from a dark gray to black, fine white chalcedony veins or fine pale green banding may be present.  Southwestern Texas Maravillas Formation
Marble Falls Chert Ranges from a dark gray to black Central Texas Marble Falls Limestone Formation
Marfa Plume Agate   Transparent to translucent matrix with dense black, metallic yellow, and less frequently, white plumes. Western Texas  
McKnight Chert Ranges from a dark gray to black. Southwestern Texas McKnight Formation of the Atascosa Group
Montoya Chert Shades of pink Western Texas Montoya Formation
Needle Peak Agate    Mottled whitish tan to a light brown or dark yellowish brown, fortified agate, moss agate and pom pom agate also occurs. Western Texas  
Novaculite
AKA: Arkansas Novaculite, Ouachita Novaculite
(Generic Type)
  Range from white to light gray or black Texas Varies
Nueces River Chert Colors ranges from white to shades of brown or gray. Southeastern Texas Varies
Obsidian
AKA: Volcanic Glass
(Generic type)
  Black to black with bands of dark reds (mahogany obsidian) or white flakes (snowflake obsidian) Western North America 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 Northern Texas 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. Northern Texas Ogallala Formation
Owl Creek Black Chert
Edwards Chert variation
Ranges from a dark gray to black, small white speckles may be present. Central Texas Edwards Limestone Formation
Palmwood
AKA: Petrified Palmwood
  Ranges from white to yellowish white or cream with specks or streaks of brown to yellowish brown.
Eastern Texas Catahoula Formation
Pedernales River Amoeba Chert
AKA: Amoeba Chert, Abiquiq Chert
  Ranges in color from light tan to dark brown. Central Texas Edwards Limestone Formation
Petrified Wood
AKA: Agatized Wood, Opalized Wood
  Vary in color based on the minerals present during the process North America Varies
Pisgah Ridge Chert
AKA: Tehuacana Chert
Black with small white speckles weathering white Northeastern Texas Tehuacana Limestone Member of the Kincaid Formation
Pom Pom Agate   Soft green to colorless matrix with clear yellow "pom pom" inclusions. Western Texas  
Potter Chert Mottled with shades of white, gray, blue, and yellow. Northern Texas Potter Member of the Ogallala Formation
Rancheria Chert Porous ranging from gray to brown and weathering brown Western Texas Rancheria Formation
Ranger Chert Brown North central Texas Ranger Limestone Member of the Brad Formation 
Red River Jasper
AKA: Kiamichi Chert
  ranges from an orangish red to a greenish gray with iron pyrite inclusions commonly present. Northeastern Texas Possible Woodford Formation
Rhyolite
(Generic Type)
  Gray to grayish black, flow banding may be present alternating from light to darker gray North America Volcanic Activity
Rio Grande River Chert Wide variety of colors with the most common being shades of cream, tan, and brown.  Petrified wood and quartzite also occur Western Texas Rio Grande river gravels.
Rio Grande Valley Wood   Shades of white, gray, brown, red, and black with wood rings and grain present. Southwestern Texas Goliad Formation
Root Beer Chert
Edwards Chert variation
Ranges from a medium to dark brown or grayish brown and may range from homogenous to having swirls or streaking Central Texas Edwards Limestone Formation
Salmon Peak Chert
  Southwestern Texas Salmon Peak Formation
Santiago Chert
(Caballos Novaculite)
  Banded with primarily green, but dull shades of red, gray, brown, yellow, and white are also present. Western Texas Santiago Chert Member of the Caballos Novaculite
Stockweather Chert Ranges from yellowish to a pale whitish yellow Central Texas Stockweather Limestone Member of the Pueblo Formation
Taylor Ranch Chert Orangish brown color Southwestern Texas Taylor Ranch Limestone Member of the Hess Formation
Tecovas Jasper
AKA: Quitague Jasper
Ranges from variegated or mottled red, blue, purple, brown, cream, and white Northern Texas Tecovas Formation 
Tessman Ranch Wood   Colors of yellow, tan, browns, and white with rings or grains commonly present. Southern Texas  
Thistle Agate   Matrix of translucent gray or green with fine white or yellow starburst or pom poms.  Southern Texas  
Thunderbird Rhyolite   Ranges from a dark purplish gray or black with brownish red inclusions to a reddish brown with dark purplish gray or black inclusions. Western Texas Thunderbird 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
Uvalde Chert
AKA: Twelvemile Creek Chert
  Ranges from most commonly from tan to brown with white, blue, gray, and pink cherts also occurring. Southeastern Texas Uvalde Gravels
Van Horn Purple & Tan Chert Ranges from a mottled pale to medium purple or a mottled light to medium tan, purplish tan or grayish orange.  Western Texas  
Van Horn Spotted Chert Ranges from a brownish red to a grayish red, pale orange, or grayish purple with spots or patches of white, or reversed colors. Western Texas  
Van Horn White Chert Ranges from a mottled white to medium light gray or pinkish gray. Western Texas  
Vidrio Chert Uniform dark to light gray Western Texas Vidrio Massive Member of the Captain Limestone Formation
Willis Chert Great variation of color, most commonly shades of brown and tan, but may range to white to pink or black.  Petrified Wood also occurs. Southeastern Texas Willis Gravel Formation
Woodward Ranch Agate
AKA: Alpine Agate
  Includes both plume, flower, and banded agates with plumes of red and black and pink banded agate. Southwestern Texas  
Wylie Mountain Agate
AKA: Van Horn Butterscotch Agate
  Ranges from a mottled whitish tan to a light brown or dark yellowish brown or a mottled whitish pink to a dusty red. Western Texas