AI-Powered Rock and Stone Recognition

Identify Any Rock or Stone with Its Full Geological Profile

Upload any rock photo and get the type, mineral composition, formation process, where to find it, practical uses, and field identification tests.

Identify a Rock
A collection of different rock specimens including granite, basalt, quartz, and sandstone arranged on a clean surface

AI Rock Identifier

Upload any photo of a rock or stone and instantly identify the type. Get a full geological profile: physical properties, mineral composition, formation process, where to find it, practical uses, field identification tips, and fascinating geology facts.

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Upload a rock photo

Works best with a clear well-lit photo of a clean specimen showing its natural surface. Including a freshly broken face or a wet surface helps reveal colour and texture. A coin or finger for scale is helpful but not required.

or drag and drop an image here

Cost per analysis

Results

AI Rock Identifier

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AI Rock Identifier

Upload a photo on the left and click analyse to see the results.

  • Rock name, class (igneous, sedimentary, or metamorphic), hardness, and confidence rating
  • Physical properties: colour, lustre, texture, grain size, structure, and surface appearance
  • Mineral composition: primary and secondary minerals, chemical composition, fossils or inclusions
  • Formation process, geological environment, temperature and pressure conditions, and tectonic setting
  • Where to find it: global distribution, field environments, collecting tips, and notable localities
  • Uses: construction, industrial, ornamental, gemstone, historical, and collector appeal
Close-up of a granite rock specimen showing large interlocking crystals of quartz, feldspar, and mica under clear lighting
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Precise Rock Identification with Full Physical Property Analysis

Identify a Rock
Cross-section view of a sedimentary rock showing distinct horizontal layers in different shades of red, orange, and cream
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Mineral Composition and Formation Geology

See Formation Geology
Geologist kneeling in a rocky outcrop examining rock specimens with a hand lens and geological hammer
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Field Guide: Where to Find It, Tests, and Uses

See Field Guide
How It Works

How to Identify a Rock with AI

1

Upload a Rock Photo

Upload any clear well-lit photo of your rock or stone specimen. A clean freshly broken or wet surface reveals colour and texture best. Including a coin for scale is helpful but not required.

2

AI Identifies the Rock Type

The AI analyses the visible physical properties: colour, lustre, texture, grain size, structure, and any minerals or fossils visible to identify the rock type and classify it with a confidence rating.

3

Get the Full Geological Profile

Receive a complete profile covering rock identification, physical properties, mineral composition, formation geology, where to find it, uses, practical field identification tests, and fascinating geological facts.

Identify a Rock

Who Uses It

Rock collector sorting through a collection of interesting stone specimens on a table
Use Case

Rock Collectors and Hobbyists

Found an interesting rock on a hike, at a beach, or in a river bed and want to know exactly what it is? Upload a photo and get the full geological profile: the rock name, how it formed, what minerals it contains, where this type is typically found, and what it could be worth to collectors. Whether you are just starting a collection or building a serious reference library, getting an instant expert identification for every specimen makes collecting more rewarding and educational.

Geology students examining rock samples spread across a laboratory bench with reference charts on the wall
Use Case

Students and Geology Educators

Teaching or studying geology, earth science, or mineralogy? Upload photos from your rock collection, field samples, lab specimens, or textbook images and get structured geological profiles covering classification, physical properties, mineral composition, formation process, and tectonic setting. Every result provides the scientific vocabulary and structured information needed for classroom exercises, lab reports, and field trip identification challenges.

Hiker picking up an interesting rock on a mountain trail to examine it
Use Case

Hikers and Outdoor Enthusiasts

Come across an unusual rock or geological feature while hiking, camping, or exploring and want to know what you are looking at? Upload a photo and get an instant geological explanation: what type of rock it is, how it formed, what the geology tells you about the landscape you are in, and whether the specimen is worth taking home or photographing for your records. Understanding the geology of the places you explore adds a whole new dimension to outdoor adventures.

Lapidary artist examining a raw gemstone rough specimen under a loupe before cutting and polishing
Use Case

Prospectors and Lapidary Artists

Evaluating a potential gem rough, testing a specimen for metallic ore potential, or identifying a stone before cutting and polishing it? Upload a photo and get the full mineral composition, hardness, and lapidary use assessment. Knowing whether a stone is suitable for cutting, what hardness to expect during grinding, and whether it belongs to a gem-quality variety of its mineral group is essential information before investing time in polishing or faceting work.

Identify a Rock

Deep Dive

The Three Rock Classes

Every rock on Earth belongs to one of three major classes, each defined by the geological process that created it. Understanding these three classes and their sub-types is the foundation of rock identification and geology, and every result from the AI Rock Identifier includes a clear classification and explanation of where your specimen fits in the rock cycle.

Wide photo collage of six rock specimens representing igneous, sedimentary, and metamorphic types on clean white backgrounds
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Igneous Rocks: Formed from Magma and Lava

Igneous rocks form from the cooling and solidification of molten rock, either deep within the Earth (intrusive or plutonic igneous rocks) or at the surface following a volcanic eruption (extrusive or volcanic igneous rocks). The rate of cooling determines the texture: slow cooling deep underground produces coarse-grained rocks with large visible crystals (like granite), while rapid cooling at the surface produces fine-grained rocks (like basalt) or glassy rocks (like obsidian) where crystals had no time to grow. Igneous rocks cover more of the Earth's surface than any other rock class and form the dominant rock type of the oceanic crust (basalt) and large portions of the continental crust (granite and related rocks). The primary minerals in igneous rocks are silicates: quartz, feldspar, pyroxene, amphibole, olivine, and mica in varying proportions depending on the magma composition. The silica content of the magma determines whether the resulting rock is felsic (silica-rich, lighter coloured, lower density, like granite), mafic (silica-poor, darker, higher density, like basalt), or ultramafic (very low silica, extremely dense, like peridotite).

Common examplesGranite, basalt, obsidian, pumice, rhyolite, gabbro, diorite, andesite, peridotite, tuff
Key identifying traitsInterlocking crystals or glassy texture, no layering or fossils, often dense and hard, sometimes vesicular (bubbly)
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Sedimentary Rocks: Formed from Accumulated Sediments

Sedimentary rocks form at or near the Earth's surface from the accumulation, compaction, and cementation of sediments, organic material, or chemical precipitates. They are divided into three main sub-types: clastic sedimentary rocks (formed from fragments of pre-existing rocks transported and deposited by water, wind, or ice, including sandstone, mudstone, shale, and conglomerate), biogenic or organic sedimentary rocks (formed from the remains of living organisms, including limestone, chalk, coal, and chert), and chemical sedimentary rocks (formed by the direct precipitation of minerals from solution, including rock salt, gypsum, travertine, and some limestones). Sedimentary rocks are particularly important to geologists because they often contain fossils, preserve evidence of ancient environments (desert dunes, river deltas, shallow seas, glaciers), and host the world's fossil fuel reserves. They cover approximately 75 percent of the continents and 80 percent of the ocean floor, making them the rock type most people encounter most often. The characteristic layered or bedded appearance of sedimentary rocks (called stratification) records geological time like pages in a book.

Common examplesSandstone, limestone, shale, mudstone, conglomerate, chalk, coal, rock salt, gypsum, chert, travertine
Key identifying traitsOften layered or bedded, may contain fossils or shell fragments, composed of grains or crystals visible with a hand lens, forms at Earth's surface
03

Metamorphic Rocks: Formed by Heat and Pressure

Metamorphic rocks form when pre-existing rocks (igneous, sedimentary, or other metamorphic rocks) are subjected to intense heat, pressure, or chemically active fluids that transform the mineral composition and texture without melting the rock completely. They form in the deep crust during mountain-building events, in the aureoles (halos) around igneous intrusions, along fault zones, and at tectonic plate boundaries where rocks are buried to great depth. Metamorphic rocks are divided into foliated types (in which platy minerals like mica and chlorite are aligned under pressure, creating a layered or banded texture, as in slate, phyllite, schist, and gneiss) and non-foliated types (in which the minerals recrystallise without preferred orientation, creating a granular or crystalline texture, as in marble, quartzite, and hornfels). The degree of metamorphism (low-grade to high-grade) reflects the temperature and pressure experienced: slate is a low-grade metamorphic rock, while granulite represents the highest metamorphic grade before melting begins. Metamorphic rocks tell geologists about the deep tectonic history of a region and the conditions that existed during mountain-building events hundreds of millions of years ago.

Common examplesMarble, slate, schist, gneiss, quartzite, phyllite, hornfels, amphibolite, eclogite, serpentinite
Key identifying traitsOften foliated (banded or layered with aligned minerals) or granular crystalline, harder and denser than the original rock, no fossils
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Igneous Sub-types: Intrusive vs Extrusive

Igneous rocks split into two fundamental sub-types based on where the magma solidified. Intrusive (plutonic) igneous rocks cool slowly deep within the Earth's crust over millions of years, allowing large crystals to grow and creating a coarse-grained texture visible to the naked eye. Granite is the most familiar intrusive rock, forming the cores of mountain ranges and the roots of continents. Other important intrusive rocks include diorite, gabbro, and the ultramafic peridotite that makes up most of the Earth's upper mantle. Extrusive (volcanic) igneous rocks cool rapidly at or near the surface after a volcanic eruption, giving crystals little time to grow and resulting in fine-grained or glassy textures. Basalt is the most abundant extrusive rock on Earth, forming the ocean floor and large continental flood basalt provinces. Other extrusive rocks include rhyolite, andesite, obsidian, pumice, and tuff. Porphyritic textures (large crystals set in a fine-grained matrix) record a two-stage cooling history: slow cooling at depth followed by rapid eruption to the surface.

Intrusive examplesGranite, diorite, gabbro, peridotite, syenite, tonalite
Extrusive examplesBasalt, rhyolite, andesite, obsidian, pumice, tuff, scoria, phonolite
05

Sedimentary Sub-types: Clastic, Biogenic, and Chemical

Sedimentary rocks are classified by the origin of the material from which they formed. Clastic sedimentary rocks are built from fragments (clasts) of pre-existing rocks broken down by weathering and erosion, transported by water, wind, or ice, and then deposited and cemented together. The grain size of the clasts determines the rock name: gravel and pebbles produce conglomerate or breccia, sand produces sandstone, silt produces siltstone, and clay produces mudstone or shale. Biogenic or organic sedimentary rocks form from the accumulation of organic material: the shells and skeletons of marine organisms produce limestone and chalk, compressed plant material produces coal, and siliceous skeletons of diatoms produce chert. Chemical sedimentary rocks precipitate directly from solution when water evaporates or becomes oversaturated: rock salt (halite) and gypsum form in evaporating inland seas and coastal lagoons, travertine precipitates from calcium-rich groundwater at springs, and stalactites and stalagmites form from dripping cave water. Understanding which sub-type a sedimentary rock belongs to immediately tells you something important about the ancient environment in which it formed.

Clastic examplesSandstone, mudstone, shale, conglomerate, breccia, siltstone, greywacke, tillite
Biogenic and chemical examplesLimestone, chalk, coal, chert, rock salt, gypsum, travertine, tufa, dolomite
06

Metamorphic Sub-types: Foliated and Non-Foliated

Metamorphic rocks split into two main structural sub-types based on whether their minerals are aligned or not. Foliated metamorphic rocks have their platy or elongated minerals (mica, chlorite, hornblende) aligned parallel to each other under directed pressure, creating a planar fabric ranging from the very fine silky sheen of phyllite to the dramatic banded structure of gneiss. The foliation grades with increasing metamorphic intensity: slate (lowest grade, very fine grain, splits cleanly along flat planes), phyllite (fine grain with a silky sheen from tiny micas), schist (medium to coarse grain with large visible mica flakes), and gneiss (high grade, banded light and dark layers, approaching the stability limit of metamorphic rock before partial melting begins). Non-foliated metamorphic rocks lack this preferred mineral orientation, either because they formed under uniform pressure rather than directed stress, or because the dominant minerals (calcite in marble, quartz in quartzite) do not develop a platy habit. Marble forms when limestone is metamorphosed, recrystallising the calcite into a uniform interlocking mosaic that can be polished to a high lustre. Quartzite forms when sandstone is metamorphosed, producing one of the hardest and most durable rocks on Earth.

Foliated examplesSlate, phyllite, schist, gneiss, mylonite, amphibolite, blueschist, eclogite
Non-foliated examplesMarble, quartzite, hornfels, skarn, serpentinite, granulite

Note: the rock cycle continuously transforms rocks from one class to another through geological processes. Any rock can eventually become any other rock type given the right conditions of heat, pressure, burial, and erosion.

Benefits

Why Use It

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Instant Rock Classification

Identify any rock by common name and petrological name, classify it as igneous, sedimentary, or metamorphic with the specific sub-type, and get a confidence rating from a single photo.

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Full Physical and Mineral Profile

Get every visible physical property: colour, lustre, texture, grain size, structure, hardness, and density, plus the full mineral composition with primary and secondary minerals and any fossils or inclusions.

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Formation Geology and Field Guide

Understand how the rock formed, in what geological environment, at what temperature and pressure, in what tectonic setting, and exactly where you can find more specimens in the field worldwide.

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Field Tests and Collector Value

Get practical field tests you can perform with a hand lens, knife, streak plate, or coin to confirm identification in the field, plus construction, industrial, ornamental, lapidary, and collector applications.

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Frequently Asked Questions

How does the AI Rock Identifier work?

You upload any photo of a rock or stone specimen and the AI analyses the visible physical properties: colour, lustre, texture, grain size, structure, surface appearance, and any visible minerals or fossils to identify the rock type and classify it. Every result includes a confidence rating with a note on the specific visible features used, along with the full geological profile.

What types of rocks and minerals can it identify?

The identifier covers all three major rock classes: igneous (granite, basalt, obsidian, pumice, gabbro, and many more), sedimentary (sandstone, limestone, shale, conglomerate, chalk, coal, and many more), and metamorphic (marble, slate, schist, gneiss, quartzite, and many more). It also covers common minerals and gemstone roughs encountered by collectors.

What photo gives the best identification result?

A clear well-lit photo of a clean specimen showing the natural rock surface, or a freshly broken face, gives the best results. A wet surface often reveals colour and texture more clearly than a dry one. Including multiple views (e.g. the natural weathered surface and a fresh break) helps significantly. A coin or finger for scale is helpful but not required. Avoid blurry or heavily shadowed photos.

Can it identify rocks found in the field, not just polished specimens?

Yes. The identifier works with field specimens in their natural state: weathered, muddy, moss-covered, or partially buried. Natural weathered surfaces can actually provide useful diagnostic clues such as the characteristic reddish weathering of granite or the blocky jointing of basalt. The AI will note any limitations where the weathered surface obscures properties that would normally be diagnostic.

Can it tell me if a rock contains valuable minerals or gemstones?

The mineral composition section identifies the minerals present in the rock and notes whether any variety or associated mineral has collector value or gemstone potential. For prospectors and collectors, this provides a useful starting point. However, confirming the presence of valuable minerals in a specific specimen always requires physical testing by a qualified geologist or assayer.

Can it identify meteorites?

Meteorites have distinctive features including a fusion crust (darkened glassy outer layer from atmospheric entry), a heavy density for their size, metallic flecks (in stony-iron meteorites), and a strong magnetic attraction (in iron-rich meteorites). If you upload a photo of a suspected meteorite, the AI will assess the visible features and note whether the specimen shows characteristics consistent with a meteorite. Definitive meteorite identification always requires physical testing and expert verification.

Does it cover rocks found anywhere in the world?

Yes. The identifier covers rocks from every geological region worldwide: from the ancient shield rocks of Africa, Canada, and Australia to the young volcanic rocks of Iceland, Hawaii, and the Pacific Rim, from Alpine metamorphic belts to tropical limestone karst regions. The where to find it section in every result includes global distribution and notable localities for the identified rock type.

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Disclaimer: This tool uses generative AI technology which may produce content that resembles copyrighted materials or that is inaccurate, incomplete, or out-of-date. It is provided for general information and educational purposes only and is not intended for illegal activities or to replace professional advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Users are solely responsible for how they use the generated content. If you plan to use AI-generated content commercially or publicly, we strongly recommend reviewing it for potential copyright issues and obtaining proper permissions where necessary. We accept no liability for copyright infringement or any other consequences resulting from the use of content generated by this tool.