Materials Identification Guide

Arizona Lithic Material

 












Name                    

Natural                                                  
Non-heat treated points Heat treated points                               Color details                    Primary found in:     Associated             Formation / Member
Abique Agate   Colors of whites, grays, reds, yellows, oranges, and browns Possible northwest Arizona  
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 North America  
Agua Prieta Agate   Colors of orange, yellow, and red Southeastern Arizona  
Andesite
Generic Type
    North America Varies
Antique Pink Agate
AKA: Bubblegum
  Pink color. Southeastern Arizona  
Argillite
(Generic type)
  Light to dark green, but may range to various shades of gray North America  
Basalt
Generic Type
  Ranges from black to gray Western North America  
Big River Rainbow Jasper   Multi-colored banded jasper West central Arizona  
Bisbee Turquoise   Medium blue with chocolate brown mottling and black dendritic inclusions. Southeastern Arizona  
Black Tank Obsidian
AKA: Rose Well Obsidian
  Occurs as black nodules and black and red mahogany obsidian nodules.. Central Arizona Mount Floyd Volcanics
Bloody Basin Agate   Clear matrix with plumes or inclusions of red and yellow. Central Arizona  
Blue Bird Turquoise   Dark to medium blue blue color in a white quartz and black and yellow / brown matrix. Central Arizona  
Bolsa Quartzite
AKA: Bolza Quartzite (Sonora), Dragoon Quartzite
  Dark brownish color with lighter bands Southern Arizona Bolsa Quartzite Formation
Bouse Jasper   Primarily a botryoidal jasper with colors of yellow, orange, and red. 
West central Arizona  
Brenda Jasper / Moss Agate   Ranges from a orbicular jasper to a jasper agate with colors of rich cherry red to yellow and purple. West central Arizona  
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. Northeastern Arizona Brushy Basin Member, Morrison Formation
Brushy Basin Quartzite     Northeastern Arizona Brushy Basin Member, Morrison Formation
Bull Canyon Agate
(plume and moss)
  Course dendritic inclusions and plumes of red, yellow, and green in a clear matrix. West central Arizona  
Bull Creek Obsidian   Black with few to absent phenocysts and black banding occasionally present. West central Arizona Kaiser Spring Volcanics
Burro Creek Agate   Matrix ranging from a light purple to blue or white with dendritic inclusions of brown and yellow. West central Arizona  
Burro Creek Jasper   Multi-colored dendritic jasper with background of white to tan with shades of pink, red, and yellow. West central Arizona  
Burro Creek Obsidian   Ranges from most commonly an opaque brownish gray to a less common translucent cloudy brown. West central Arizona Kaiser Spring Volcanics
Burro Creek Sagenitic Agate   Primarily a red vein agate with needles of white and yellow.. West central Arizona  
Carnelian
(Generic Type)
  Translucent and varies in shades from reddish brown to reddish orange. North America Varies
Castle Dome Turquoise
AKA: Pinto Valley Turquoise
  Ranges from a baby blue to green South central Arizona  
Cave Creek Jasper   Mottled reddish or yellowish color South central Arizona  
Cedar Mesa Chert   Red and white. North central Arizona Cedar Mesa Sandstone Member of the Cutler Formation
Chuska Mountain Chert
AKA: Washington Pass, Narbona Pass, Paleo Pink Chert
  Ranges from shades of pink to reddish orange, but can occur in banded gray, pink, and blue or banded gray and cream.  Northeastern Arizona  
Clifton Fire Agate   Purple color Southeastern Arizona  
Coronado Quartzite   Ranges from brown to pink or maroon Southeastern Arizona Coronado Quartzite Formation
Cow Canyon Obsidian   Brownish green with thin banding occasionally occurring.  The cortex is a grayish black. Southeastern Arizona Mogollom - Datil Volcanics
Cuesta Fire Agate     Northwestern Arizona  
Dacite
Generic Type
  Most commonly a light to dark gray or black Western North America Varies
Deadmans Mesa Obsidian   Two varieties, the first one is a granular dark gray with brick red flow present, second ranges from a granular dark gray to black. North central Arizona San Francisco Volcanics
Deer Creek Fire Agate   Ranges from colors of reds, yellows, greens, and blues. Southeastern Arizona  
Dripping Springs Quartzite   Purplish in color Southern Arizona Dripping Springs Quartzite Formation
Duncan Obsidian   Smoky gray Southeastern Arizona Ash Peak Volcanics
Escabrosa Chert   Ranges from a light to dark gray. Southeastern Arizona Keating Member of the Escabrosa Limestone Formation
Escudilla Agate / Carnelian
AKA: Escudillo Agate
  Banded or mottled with colors of blue, gray, and black. Eastern central Arizona  
Government Mountain Obsidian   Ranges from a lighter gray to cloudy gray or black with microphenocrysts of feldspar and iron oxide are present. North central Arizona San Francisco Volcanics
Hidden Canyon Jasper     Northwestern Arizona Wescogame Formation
Ithaca Peak Turquoise   Medium blue with mottling of black and golden or yellow and silver (pyrite) inclusions. Northwestern Arizona  
Kiabab Chert Mottled with whites, light browns, tans, and light grays with a brown cortex Northwestern Arizona Kiabab Limestone Formation
Kendrick Peak Obsidian   Ranges from a grayish black to black with abundant phenocrysyst thin flakes show the common San Francisco Volcanics cloudy gray color. North central Arizona San Francisco Volcanics
Kingman Turquoise   Medium blue with yellow, golden, browns, and black mottling. Northwestern Arizona  
Los Sitios del Agua Obsidian
AKA: AZ Unknown A, Kate's Green Obsidian
  Ranges from a light gray to black a jade green also occurring. Southwestern Arizona Sierra Panacate Volcanics
Los Vidrios Obsidian   Homogenous opaque black with no banding or lighter shades.  The cortex ranges from a brown to gray. Southwestern Arizona Sierra Pinacate Volcanics
Mazatzal Argillite   Ranges from an orange to orangish red with tan inclusions Central Arizona Mazatzal Quartzite Formation
Mazatzal Quartzite   Ranges from light brown to gray Central Arizona Mazatzal Quartzite Formation
Morenci Turquoise   Ranges from a dark to light blue. splotches of silver or gray occurs as a breccia.  Quartz inclusions may be present. Southeastern Arizona  
Mushroom Jasper   Colors of most commonly grays with greens, reds, and yellows also occurring.  The outer cortex is rhyolite Southwestern Arizona  
Nazlini Petrified Wood   Shades of browns, yellows, reds, orange, and white with wood rings or grain present. Northeastern Arizona  
New River Jasper     Central Arizona  
Nugget Sandstone   Ranges from buff to pink Northwestern Arizona Chug Water Formation
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
Old Paria Petrified Wood
AKA: Paria Petrified Wood
  Shades of gray, brown, black, white, and pink with wood grain and rings present. Northwestern Arizona  
O'Leary Peak Obsidian
AKA: Robinson Crater Obsidian
  Glassy grayish black highly vitrophyric rhyodacite with abundant phenocrysts.  . North central Arizona San Francisco Volcanics
Owl Rock Chert   Northeastern Arizona Owl Rock Member of the Chinle Formation
Partridge Creek Obsidian
AKA: Round Mountain Obsidian
  Black with cloudy gray banding infrequently occurring.  Cortex varies from a thin grayish black to a brownish black Northwestern Arizona Mount Floyd Volcanics
Perkinsville Agate   Multi-colored with shades of pink, yellow, red, purple, and white. Central Arizona  
Petrified Wood
AKA: Agatized Wood, Opalized Wood
  Vary in color based on the minerals present during the process North America Varies
Plomosa Mountain Jasper   Colors of orange, red, and green.  Jasper agate also occurs. Southwestern Arizona  
Presley Wash Obsidian   Occurs in two variations.  The first is a glassy gray to black and the second is a sub-vitreous rhyolitic gray to grayish green or black. Northwestern Arizona Mount Floyd Volcanics
Purple Passion Agate   Shades of lavender with a rhyolite cortex. West central Arizona  
Rabbit Ranch Agate   Black South central Arizona  
Rainbow Gardens Chert Ranges from a dark green to black and white. Northwestern Arizona Rainbow Gardens Member of the Horse Spring Formation
Redwall Chert Red Northwestern Arizona Redwall Limestone Formation
Rhyolite
(Generic Type)
  Gray to grayish black, flow banding may be present alternating from light to darker gray North America Volcanic Activity
Round Mountain Fire Agate   Shades of brown and white Northwestern Arizona  
RS Hill Obsidian   Ranges from a dark gray to black with infrequent feldspar phenocrysts.. North central Arizona San Francisco Volcanics
Saddle Mountain Agate / Carnelian, Petrified Wood   Brown and white banded agate with red and clear marking present.  Fire agate also occurs. Southwestern Arizona  
Safford Fire Agate   Shades of white and brown. Southeastern Arizona  
San Francisco Peak Obsidian
(Fremont / Agassiz Saddle)
  Grayish black and extremely vitrophyric with abundant feldspar phenocrysts and inter-banded with ash.  North central Arizona San Francisco Volcanics
San Tank Obsidian   Black with few to absent phenocysts and black banding occasionally present.. South central Arizona Sauceda Volcanics
Shinrump Chert   Ranges from gray to white. Northeastern Arizona Shinarump Conglomerate Member of the Chinle Formation
Shinarump Quartzite   Black and red Northeastern Arizona Shinarump Conglomerate Member of the Chinle Formation
Sitgreaves Mountain Obsidian   Cloudy gray with banding or patterns commonly present.  The cortex is a tan to brown. North central Arizona San Francisco Volcanics
Slate Mountain Obsidian
AKA: Wallace Tank Obsidian
  Composed of equally amounts of black nodules and black and red mahogany nodules.. South central Arizona San Francisco Volcanics
Sleeping Beauty Turquoise   Light blue color. Southeastern Arizona  
South Sauceda Mountains Obsidian   Ranges from greenish brown to a black.  Green with black banded and light gray with black banding also occurs. Southwestern Arizona Sauceda Volcanica
St. John's Flower Agate   Ranges from a white to blue matrix with dendritic plumes or flower inclusions of red, yellow, purple, brown or black. Eastern central Arizona  
Superior Obsidian
AKA: Picketpost Obsidian
  Transparent brown with banding occurring. South central Arizona  
Summerville Chert Two variations.  One is black chert and the other is a white or red opalitic chert. Northeastern Arizona Summerville Formation
Tank Mountain Obsidian   Black with few to absent phenocysts and black banding occasionally present.. Southwestern Arizona  
Topaz Basin Obsidian   Transparent smoky gray with banding and clouding rare. Central Arizona  
Troy Quartzite   Ranges from unevenly colors of pink to green. Southeastern Arizona Troy Quartzite 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
Turquoise Mountain Turquoise
AKA: Birdseye Turquoise
  Ranges from a light blue to a medium blue with black, brown, or yellowish brown mottling and darker blue circles Northwestern Arizona  
Vulture Obsidian   Greenish brown with banding or clouding occurring and rarely greenish and black banding present.
Southwestern Arizona  
Watahomigi Chert
AKA: Supai Chert, Watahomigi Jasper
Shades of medium to dark red or purple and grays with white quartzite veins commonly present. Northwestern Arizona Watahomigi Formation of the Supai Group
Woodruff Petrified Wood   Shades of red, orange, pink, yellow, tan, brown, and white with wood grain or rings present. Eastern central Arizona  
Zebra Stone
AKA: Zebra Chert, Zebra Jasper
  Ranges from black to brown with tan banding. South central Arizona