Oakley Stone
Encyclopedia
Oakley stone is the trade name
of a building stone that occurs in the mountains south of Oakley
, Idaho
in Cassia County
near the Utah
border. It is more properly known as Rocky Mountain quartzite or Idaho quartzite. Quartzite
, a metamorphic rock
, is quarried
in the City of Rocks area. The quarries from which this stone originates are located on the west side of Middle Mountain in the Albion Mountains.
Oakley stone is micaceous, meaning it is a mica
bearing stone. This mineral
gives the product a fish-scale-like sheen. The stone is noted for its great variety of colors ranging from white and silver to browns, yellows, and golds. Another stone in the area, Elba Quartzite, is a green micaceous quartzite. The green color of the rock is a the result of chromium
in the mica which is also known as fuchsite
. The original sedimentary rock from which the quartzite formed was a quartz
-rich sandstone
. During the metamorphic process, the pressure caused the layers of clay
within the sandstone to thin and flatten into the mica-rich layers. The space between planes of parting or foliation
are consistent which makes it uniform in thickness.
The outcrop
pings of the stone usually lie parallel to the ground and occur in large plates that can be easily split into thin veneers. Beginning in 1948, the stone was mined and sold in large quantities throughout the United States
. It used for interior decoration, fireplace mantel
s, decks and patios, or facing buildings. A variant is "builders" which are naturally occurring brick
-shaped pieces used to face building exteriors, building property walls, or fireplaces. There are about a dozen companies in the Oakley area quarrying the stone.
The Archie Boyd Teater Studio designed by Frank Lloyd Wright
used the stone in both the exterior and interior of the building.
Trade name
A trade name, also known as a trading name or a business name, is the name which a business trades under for commercial purposes, although its registered, legal name, used for contracts and other formal situations, may be another....
of a building stone that occurs in the mountains south of Oakley
Oakley, Idaho
Oakley is a city in Cassia County, Idaho, United States. The population was 763 at the 2010 census. It is part of the Burley, Idaho Micropolitan Statistical Area.-Geography:Oakley is located at , at 4,560 feet in elevation...
, Idaho
Idaho
Idaho is a state in the Rocky Mountain area of the United States. The state's largest city and capital is Boise. Residents are called "Idahoans". Idaho was admitted to the Union on July 3, 1890, as the 43rd state....
in Cassia County
Cassia County, Idaho
Cassia County is a county located in the U.S. state of Idaho. As of the 2010 Census the county had a population of 22,952. The county seat and largest city is Burley.-History:...
near the Utah
Utah
Utah is a state in the Western United States. It was the 45th state to join the Union, on January 4, 1896. Approximately 80% of Utah's 2,763,885 people live along the Wasatch Front, centering on Salt Lake City. This leaves vast expanses of the state nearly uninhabited, making the population the...
border. It is more properly known as Rocky Mountain quartzite or Idaho quartzite. Quartzite
Quartzite
Quartzite is a hard metamorphic rock which was originally sandstone. Sandstone is converted into quartzite through heating and pressure usually related to tectonic compression within orogenic belts. Pure quartzite is usually white to gray, though quartzites often occur in various shades of pink...
, a metamorphic rock
Metamorphic rock
Metamorphic rock is the transformation of an existing rock type, the protolith, in a process called metamorphism, which means "change in form". The protolith is subjected to heat and pressure causing profound physical and/or chemical change...
, is quarried
Quarry
A quarry is a type of open-pit mine from which rock or minerals are extracted. Quarries are generally used for extracting building materials, such as dimension stone, construction aggregate, riprap, sand, and gravel. They are often collocated with concrete and asphalt plants due to the requirement...
in the City of Rocks area. The quarries from which this stone originates are located on the west side of Middle Mountain in the Albion Mountains.
Oakley stone is micaceous, meaning it is a mica
Mica
The mica group of sheet silicate minerals includes several closely related materials having highly perfect basal cleavage. All are monoclinic, with a tendency towards pseudohexagonal crystals, and are similar in chemical composition...
bearing stone. This mineral
Mineral
A mineral is a naturally occurring solid chemical substance formed through biogeochemical processes, having characteristic chemical composition, highly ordered atomic structure, and specific physical properties. By comparison, a rock is an aggregate of minerals and/or mineraloids and does not...
gives the product a fish-scale-like sheen. The stone is noted for its great variety of colors ranging from white and silver to browns, yellows, and golds. Another stone in the area, Elba Quartzite, is a green micaceous quartzite. The green color of the rock is a the result of chromium
Chromium
Chromium is a chemical element which has the symbol Cr and atomic number 24. It is the first element in Group 6. It is a steely-gray, lustrous, hard metal that takes a high polish and has a high melting point. It is also odorless, tasteless, and malleable...
in the mica which is also known as fuchsite
Muscovite
Muscovite is a phyllosilicate mineral of aluminium and potassium with formula KAl22, or 236. It has a highly-perfect basal cleavage yielding remarkably-thin laminæ which are often highly elastic...
. The original sedimentary rock from which the quartzite formed was a quartz
Quartz
Quartz is the second-most-abundant mineral in the Earth's continental crust, after feldspar. It is made up of a continuous framework of SiO4 silicon–oxygen tetrahedra, with each oxygen being shared between two tetrahedra, giving an overall formula SiO2. There are many different varieties of quartz,...
-rich sandstone
Sandstone
Sandstone is a sedimentary rock composed mainly of sand-sized minerals or rock grains.Most sandstone is composed of quartz and/or feldspar because these are the most common minerals in the Earth's crust. Like sand, sandstone may be any colour, but the most common colours are tan, brown, yellow,...
. During the metamorphic process, the pressure caused the layers of clay
Clay
Clay is a general term including many combinations of one or more clay minerals with traces of metal oxides and organic matter. Geologic clay deposits are mostly composed of phyllosilicate minerals containing variable amounts of water trapped in the mineral structure.- Formation :Clay minerals...
within the sandstone to thin and flatten into the mica-rich layers. The space between planes of parting or foliation
Foliation (geology)
Foliation is any penetrative planar fabric present in rocks. Foliation is common to rocks affected by regional metamorphic compression typical of orogenic belts. Rocks exhibiting foliation include the standard sequence formed by the prograde metamorphism of mudrocks; slate, phyllite, schist and...
are consistent which makes it uniform in thickness.
The outcrop
Outcrop
An outcrop is a visible exposure of bedrock or ancient superficial deposits on the surface of the Earth. -Features:Outcrops do not cover the majority of the Earth's land surface because in most places the bedrock or superficial deposits are covered by a mantle of soil and vegetation and cannot be...
pings of the stone usually lie parallel to the ground and occur in large plates that can be easily split into thin veneers. Beginning in 1948, the stone was mined and sold in large quantities throughout the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. It used for interior decoration, fireplace mantel
Fireplace mantel
Fireplace mantel or mantelpiece, also known as a chimneypiece, originated in medieval times as a hood that projected over a grate to catch the smoke. The term has evolved to include the decorative framework around the fireplace, and can include elaborate designs extending to the ceiling...
s, decks and patios, or facing buildings. A variant is "builders" which are naturally occurring brick
Brick
A brick is a block of ceramic material used in masonry construction, usually laid using various kinds of mortar. It has been regarded as one of the longest lasting and strongest building materials used throughout history.-History:...
-shaped pieces used to face building exteriors, building property walls, or fireplaces. There are about a dozen companies in the Oakley area quarrying the stone.
The Archie Boyd Teater Studio designed by Frank Lloyd Wright
Frank Lloyd Wright
Frank Lloyd Wright was an American architect, interior designer, writer and educator, who designed more than 1,000 structures and completed 500 works. Wright believed in designing structures which were in harmony with humanity and its environment, a philosophy he called organic architecture...
used the stone in both the exterior and interior of the building.