Definition
Blueschist is a metamorphic rock which is generally blue in color and is formed under conditions of high pressure and low temperature
  
Quartzite is a non-foliated metamorphic rock that forms by the metamorphism of pure quartz Sandstone
  
History
  
  
Origin
USA
  
Unknown
  
Discoverer
Edgar Bailey
  
Unknown
  
Etymology
From French schiste, Greek skhistos i.e. split
  
From quartz + -ite
  
Class
Metamorphic Rocks
  
Metamorphic Rocks
  
Sub-Class
Durable Rock, Medium Hardness Rock
  
Durable Rock, Hard Rock
  
Family
  
  
Group
Not Applicable
  
Not Applicable
  
Other Categories
Fine Grained Rock, Medium Grained Rock, Opaque Rock
  
Medium Grained Rock, Opaque Rock
  
Texture
Foliated
  
Foliated, Granular
  
Color
Blue, Bluish - Grey, Purple, Shades of Blue
  
Black, Blue, Brown, Green, Light Grey, Purple, White, Yellow
  
Maintenance
Less
  
Less
  
Durability
Durable
  
Durable
  
Water Resistant
No
  
Yes
  
Scratch Resistant
No
  
Yes
  
Stain Resistant
No
  
Yes
  
Wind Resistant
No
  
Yes
  
Acid Resistant
No
  
Yes
  
Appearance
Dull and Banded
  
Lustrous
  
Architecture
  
  
Interior Uses
Floor Tiles, Flooring, Homes, Hotels, Kitchens
  
Countertops, Decorative Aggregates, Flooring, Homes
  
Exterior Uses
Garden Decoration, Office Buildings
  
As Building Stone, As Facing Stone, Garden Decoration, Paving Stone
  
Other Architectural Uses
Not Yet Used
  
Curbing
  
Industry
  
  
Construction Industry
As Dimension Stone, Cobblestones, Rail Track Ballast, Roadstone
  
Arrowheads, As Dimension Stone, Cement Manufacture, Construction Aggregate, Cutting Tool, for Road Aggregate, Making natural cement, Production of Glass and Ceramics, Rail Track Ballast, Roadstone
  
Medical Industry
Not Yet Used
  
Not Yet Used
  
Antiquity Uses
Artifacts, Monuments, Sculpture
  
Artifacts, Jewellery, Monuments, Sculpture
  
Other Uses
  
  
Commercial Uses
Cemetery Markers, Commemorative Tablets, Creating Artwork, Curling, Tombstones
  
An Oil and Gas Reservoir, As armour rock for sea walls, Cemetery Markers, Commemorative Tablets, In aquifers, Laboratory bench tops, Petroleum reservoirs, Soil Conditioner, Source of Magnesia (MgO), Tombstones, Used in aquariums
  
Types
Not Available
  
Not Available
  
Features
Has High structural resistance against erosion and climate, Very fine grained rock
  
Generally rough to touch, Is one of the oldest rock
  
Archaeological Significance
  
  
Monuments
Used
  
Used
  
Famous Monuments
Data Not Available
  
Data Not Available
  
Sculpture
Used
  
Used
  
Famous Sculptures
Data Not Available
  
Data Not Available
  
Pictographs
Used
  
Not Used
  
Petroglyphs
Used
  
Not Used
  
Figurines
Used
  
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.
  
Quartzite forms from sandstone and the mineral quartz being put under extreme heat and pressure.
  
Composition
  
  
Mineral Content
Albite, Chlorite, Epidote, Garnet, Glaucophane, Lawsonite, Muscovite or Illite, Quartz
  
Chlorite, Epidote, Hematite, Kyanite, Magnetite, Muscovite or Illite, Quartz
  
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, MgO, Sodium Oxide, Silicon Dioxide
  
Transformation
  
  
Metamorphism
No
  
Yes
  
Types of Metamorphism
Not Applicable
  
Burial Metamorphism, Cataclastic Metamorphism, Hydrothermal Metamorphism, Regional 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, Water Erosion, Wind Erosion
  
Physical Properties
  
  
Hardness
3.5-4
  
6-7
  
Grain Size
Fine to Medium Grained
  
Medium Grained
  
Fracture
Conchoidal
  
Uneven, Splintery or Conchoidal
  
Streak
White to Grey
  
White
  
Porosity
Highly Porous
  
Less Porous
  
Luster
Dull
  
Vitreous
  
Compressive Strength
Not Available
  
115.00 N/mm
2
  
18
Cleavage
Slaty
  
Indiscernible
  
Toughness
1.5
  
1.9
  
Specific Gravity
3-3.2
  
2.6-2.8
  
Transparency
Opaque
  
Transparent to Translucent
  
Density
2.8-2.9 g/cm3
  
2.32-2.42 g/cm3
  
Thermal Properties
  
  
Specific Heat Capacity
Not Available
  
0.75 kJ/Kg K
  
18
Resistance
Impact Resistant, Pressure Resistant
  
Heat Resistant, Impact Resistant, Pressure Resistant, Wear Resistant
  
Deposits in Eastern Continents
  
  
Asia
Japan, Turkey
  
China, India, Israel, Russia, South Korea, Thailand, Turkey
  
Africa
Egypt, Ethiopia, South Africa
  
Ethiopia, Morocco, South Africa, Zimbabwe
  
Europe
France, Greece, Iceland
  
England, Italy, Norway, Scotland, Sweden, United Kingdom
  
Others
Not Yet Found
  
Greenland
  
Deposits in Western Continents
  
  
North America
USA
  
Bahamas, Canada, USA
  
South America
Not Yet Found
  
Brazil, Colombia, Venezuela
  
Deposits in Oceania Continent
  
  
Australia
New Zealand
  
New Zealand, Queensland, Western Australia
  
All about Blueschist and Quartzite Properties
Know all about Blueschist and Quartzite properties here. All properties of rocks are important as they define the type of rock and its application. Blueschist and Quartzite belong to Metamorphic Rocks.Texture of Blueschist is Foliated whereas that of Quartzite is Foliated, Granular. Blueschist appears Dull and Banded and Quartzite appears Lustrous. The luster of Blueschist is dull while that of Quartzite is vitreous. Blueschist is available in blue, bluish - grey, purple, shades of blue colors whereas Quartzite is available in black, blue, brown, green, light grey, purple, white, yellow colors. The commercial uses of Blueschist are cemetery markers, commemorative tablets, creating artwork, curling, tombstones and that of Quartzite are an oil and gas reservoir, as armour rock for sea walls, cemetery markers, commemorative tablets, in aquifers, laboratory bench tops, petroleum reservoirs, soil conditioner, source of magnesia (mgo), tombstones, used in aquariums.