Definition
Blueschist is a metamorphic rock which is generally blue in color and is formed under conditions of high pressure and low temperature
  
Pumice is a volcanic rock that consists of highly vesicular rough textured volcanic glass, which may or may not contain crystals
  
History
  
  
Origin
USA
  
Spain
  
Discoverer
Edgar Bailey
  
Unknown
  
Etymology
From French schiste, Greek skhistos i.e. split
  
From Old French pomis, from a Latin dialect variant of pumex
  
Class
Metamorphic Rocks
  
Igneous Rocks
  
Sub-Class
Durable Rock, Medium Hardness Rock
  
Durable Rock, Medium Hardness Rock
  
Family
  
  
Group
Not Applicable
  
Volcanic
  
Other Categories
Fine Grained Rock, Medium Grained Rock, Opaque Rock
  
Fine Grained Rock, Opaque Rock
  
Texture
Foliated
  
Vesicular
  
Color
Blue, Bluish - Grey, Purple, Shades of Blue
  
Beige, Colourless, Grey, Light Green, Light Grey, Pink, White, Yellow- grey
  
Maintenance
Less
  
Less
  
Durability
Durable
  
Durable
  
Water Resistant
No
  
Yes
  
Scratch Resistant
No
  
Yes
  
Stain Resistant
No
  
Yes
  
Wind Resistant
No
  
No
  
Acid Resistant
No
  
Yes
  
Appearance
Dull and Banded
  
Vesicular
  
Architecture
  
  
Interior Uses
Floor Tiles, Flooring, Homes, Hotels, Kitchens
  
Decorative Aggregates, Flooring, Homes, Interior Decoration
  
Exterior Uses
Garden Decoration, Office Buildings
  
As Building Stone, As Facing Stone, Garden Decoration, Paving Stone
  
Other Architectural Uses
Not Yet Used
  
Curbing, Powder
  
Industry
  
  
Construction Industry
As Dimension Stone, Cobblestones, Rail Track Ballast, Roadstone
  
As Dimension Stone, Cement Manufacture, for Road Aggregate, In landscaping and horticulture, Making natural cement, Production of lightweight concrete blocks
  
Medical Industry
Not Yet Used
  
As an abrasive in skin exfoliating products, In Chemical and Pharmaceutical Industry, Medicines and Cosmetics
  
Antiquity Uses
Artifacts, Monuments, Sculpture
  
Artifacts
  
Other Uses
  
  
Commercial Uses
Cemetery Markers, Commemorative Tablets, Creating Artwork, Curling, Tombstones
  
As a traction material on snow-covered roads, As an abrasive in pencil erasers, Fine abrasive used for polishing, Manufacture of Soap, Solvents, Dyes, Plastics and Fibres, Used in aquariums
  
Types
Not Available
  
Scoria
  
Features
Has High structural resistance against erosion and climate, Very fine grained rock
  
Host Rock for Lead
  
Archaeological Significance
  
  
Monuments
Used
  
Not Yet Used
  
Famous Monuments
Data Not Available
  
Not Applicable
  
Sculpture
Used
  
Not Yet Used
  
Famous Sculptures
Data Not Available
  
Not Applicable
  
Pictographs
Used
  
Used
  
Petroglyphs
Used
  
Used
  
Figurines
Used
  
Not Yet Used
  
Fossils
Absent
  
Absent
  
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.
  
Pumice rock forms when the magma cools so quickly that atoms in the melt are not able to arrange themselves into a crystalline structure.
  
Composition
  
  
Mineral Content
Albite, Chlorite, Epidote, Garnet, Glaucophane, Lawsonite, Muscovite or Illite, Quartz
  
Aluminum Oxides, Calcite, Carbonate, Iron Oxides, Silica
  
Compound Content
Aluminium Oxide, CaO, Iron(III) Oxide, FeO, Potassium Oxide, MgO, MnO, Sodium Oxide, Phosphorus Pentoxide, Silicon Dioxide, Titanium Dioxide
  
Al, Aluminium Oxide, CaO, Carbon Dioxide, MgO, Silicon Dioxide
  
Transformation
  
  
Metamorphism
No
  
Yes
  
Types of Metamorphism
Not Applicable
  
Burial Metamorphism, Impact Metamorphism
  
Weathering
Yes
  
Yes
  
Types of Weathering
Mechanical Weathering
  
Biological Weathering, Chemical Weathering, Mechanical Weathering
  
Erosion
Yes
  
Yes
  
Types of Erosion
Chemical Erosion, Coastal Erosion, Water Erosion, Wind Erosion
  
Chemical Erosion, Coastal Erosion, Glacier Erosion, Sea Erosion, Water Erosion, Wind Erosion
  
Physical Properties
  
  
Hardness
3.5-4
  
6
  
Grain Size
Fine to Medium Grained
  
Fine Grained
  
Fracture
Conchoidal
  
Planar
  
Streak
White to Grey
  
White, Greenish White or Grey
  
Porosity
Highly Porous
  
Highly Porous
  
Luster
Dull
  
Earthy
  
Compressive Strength
Not Available
  
51.20 N/mm
2
  
26
Cleavage
Slaty
  
Perfect
  
Toughness
1.5
  
3
  
Specific Gravity
3-3.2
  
2.86
  
Transparency
Opaque
  
Opaque
  
Density
2.8-2.9 g/cm3
  
0.25-0.3 g/cm3
  
Thermal Properties
  
  
Specific Heat Capacity
Not Available
  
0.87 kJ/Kg K
  
14
Resistance
Impact Resistant, Pressure Resistant
  
Impact Resistant, Pressure Resistant
  
Deposits in Eastern Continents
  
  
Asia
Japan, Turkey
  
Afghanistan, Indonesia, Japan, Russia
  
Africa
Egypt, Ethiopia, South Africa
  
Ethiopia, Kenya, Tanzania
  
Europe
France, Greece, Iceland
  
Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Italy, Turkey
  
Others
Not Yet Found
  
Not Yet Found
  
Deposits in Western Continents
  
  
North America
USA
  
Bahamas, Barbados, Canada, Costa Rica, Cuba, Jamaica, Mexico, USA
  
South America
Not Yet Found
  
Argentina, Chile, Ecuador, Peru
  
Deposits in Oceania Continent
  
  
Australia
New Zealand
  
New Zealand, Western Australia
  
All about Blueschist and Pumice Properties
Know all about Blueschist and Pumice properties here. All properties of rocks are important as they define the type of rock and its application. Blueschist belongs to Metamorphic Rocks while Pumice belongs to Igneous Rocks.Texture of Blueschist is Foliated whereas that of Pumice is Vesicular. Blueschist appears Dull and Banded and Pumice appears Vesicular. The luster of Blueschist is dull while that of Pumice is earthy. Blueschist is available in blue, bluish - grey, purple, shades of blue colors whereas Pumice is available in beige, colourless, grey, light green, light grey, pink, white, yellow- grey colors. The commercial uses of Blueschist are cemetery markers, commemorative tablets, creating artwork, curling, tombstones and that of Pumice are as a traction material on snow-covered roads, as an abrasive in pencil erasers, fine abrasive used for polishing, manufacture of soap, solvents, dyes, plastics and fibres, used in aquariums.