Materials Identification Guide

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