Definition
Blueschist is a metamorphic rock which is generally blue in color and is formed under conditions of high pressure and low temperature
Borolanite is a variety of Nepheline Syenite and belongs to igneous rocks and contains nepheline-alkali feldspar pseudomorphs which occur as conspicuous white spots in the dark rock matrix
Discoverer
Edgar Bailey
Unknown
Etymology
From French schiste, Greek skhistos i.e. split
From Alkalic Igneous complex near Loch Borralan in northwest Scotland
Class
Metamorphic Rocks
Igneous Rocks
Sub-Class
Durable Rock, Medium Hardness Rock
Durable Rock, Medium Hardness Rock
Group
Not Applicable
Plutonic
Other Categories
Fine Grained Rock, Medium Grained Rock, Opaque Rock
Fine Grained Rock, Opaque Rock
Texture
Foliated
Granular
Color
Blue, Bluish - Grey, Purple, Shades of Blue
Brown, Buff, Cream, Green, Grey, Pink, White
Durability
Durable
Durable
Appearance
Dull and Banded
Banded and Foilated
Interior Uses
Floor Tiles, Flooring, Homes, Hotels, Kitchens
Countertops, Decorative Aggregates, Flooring, Homes, Interior Decoration
Exterior Uses
Garden Decoration, Office Buildings
As Building Stone, As Facing Stone, Paving Stone, Garden Decoration, Office Buildings
Other Architectural Uses
Not Yet Used
Curbing
Construction Industry
As Dimension Stone, Cobblestones, Rail Track Ballast, Roadstone
As Dimension Stone, Cement Manufacture, Construction Aggregate, for Road Aggregate, Landscaping, Making natural cement, Manufacture of Magnesium and Dolomite Refractories, Production of Glass and Ceramics
Medical Industry
Not Yet Used
Not Yet Used
Antiquity Uses
Artifacts, Monuments, Sculpture
Artifacts
Commercial Uses
Cemetery Markers, Commemorative Tablets, Creating Artwork, Curling, Tombstones
Cemetery Markers
Types
Not Available
Not Available
Features
Has High structural resistance against erosion and climate, Very fine grained rock
Application of acids on the surface causes cloudy frosting, Available in Lots of Colors and Patterns, Dissolves in hydrochloric acid, Is one of the oldest rock
Archaeological Significance
Famous Monuments
Data Not Available
Data Not Available
Famous Sculptures
Data Not Available
Data Not Available
Formation
Blueschist forms due to the metamorphism of basalt and other rocks with similar composition at high pressures and low temperatures and approximately corresponding to a depth of 15 to 30 kilometers and 200 to 500 °C.
Borolanites are formed due to alkaline igneous activities and are generally formed in thick continental crustal areas or in Cordilleran subduction zones.
Mineral Content
Albite, Chlorite, Epidote, Garnet, Glaucophane, Lawsonite, Muscovite or Illite, Quartz
Albite, Amphibole, Biotite, Cancrinite, Feldspar, Hornblende, Plagioclase, Pyroxene, Sodalite
Compound Content
Aluminium Oxide, CaO, Iron(III) Oxide, FeO, Potassium Oxide, MgO, MnO, Sodium Oxide, Phosphorus Pentoxide, Silicon Dioxide, Titanium Dioxide
Aluminium Oxide, CaO, Iron(III) Oxide, FeO, Potassium Oxide, MgO, MnO, Sodium Oxide, Phosphorus Pentoxide, Silicon Dioxide, Titanium Dioxide
Types of Metamorphism
Not Applicable
Regional Metamorphism
Types of Weathering
Mechanical Weathering
Chemical Weathering, Mechanical Weathering
Types of Erosion
Chemical Erosion, Coastal Erosion, Water Erosion, Wind Erosion
Wind Erosion
Grain Size
Fine to Medium Grained
Fine Grained
Fracture
Conchoidal
Conchoidal to Uneven
Streak
White to Grey
White
Porosity
Highly Porous
Less Porous
Luster
Dull
Greasy to Dull
Compressive Strength
Not Available
Toughness
1.5
Not Available
Specific Gravity
3-3.2
2.6
Transparency
Opaque
Translucent to Opaque
Density
2.8-2.9 g/cm3
2.6 g/cm3
Resistance
Impact Resistant, Pressure Resistant
Heat Resistant, Impact Resistant, Wear Resistant
Deposits in Eastern Continents
Asia
Japan, Turkey
Indonesia, Iran, Russia, Saudi Arabia, Sri Lanka, Taiwan, Thailand, Turkey, Turkmenistan, Vietnam
Africa
Egypt, Ethiopia, South Africa
Angola, Egypt, Madagascar, Namibia, Nigeria, South Africa
Europe
France, Greece, Iceland
Andorra, Finland, France, Great Britain, Italy, Norway, Portugal, Spain, Sweden
Others
Not Yet Found
Greenland
Deposits in Western Continents
North America
USA
Canada, USA
South America
Not Yet Found
Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Uruguay, Venezuela
Deposits in Oceania Continent
Australia
New Zealand
New Zealand, Queensland, South Australia, Tasmania, Western Australia