What's That Rock?Gneiss
A banded metamorphic rock with alternating light and dark layers. It forms from granite or sedimentary rock under heat and pressure.
How to identify Gneiss
- Coarse light and dark bands
- Visible crystals of feldspar, quartz and mica
- Does not split into thin sheets like schist
Often confused with
- Graniteno bands
- Schistfiner, more mica
- Banded sandstone
Is Gneiss valuable?
Common.
What changes the price
- Common rock: low value as a specimen
- Polished slabs can be decorative, mostly priced by the slab
- Landscape and building stone is priced by the ton
Uses
- Building stone, aggregate
Care
Safe to wash.
Identifying a stone from a description or a photo is an estimate. Many stones look alike. Ask an expert or a gem lab before you buy, sell or rely on an identification.
Updated October 2026