Definition
Breccia is a rock consisting of angular fragments of stones which are cemented by finer calcareous material
Argillites are highly compact sedimentary or slightly metamorphosed rocks that consist largely or wholly of particles of clay or silt but lack the fissility of shale or the cleavage characteristic of slate
Discoverer
Unknown
Unknown
Etymology
From Italian, literally gravel, Germanic origin and related to break
From Latin Argilla (clay) and -ite in English which became agrilla+ -ite = Argillite
Class
Sedimentary Rocks
Sedimentary Rocks
Sub-Class
Durable Rock, Hard Rock
Durable Rock, Soft Rock
Group
Not Applicable
Not Applicable
Other Categories
Coarse Grained Rock, Medium Grained Rock, Opaque Rock
Fine Grained Rock, Opaque Rock
Texture
Brecciated, Clastic
Clastic, Polished
Color
Beige, Black, Blue, Brown, Buff, Green, Grey, Orange, Pink, Purple, Red, Rust, White, Yellow
Dark Grey to Black, Pink, Red, White
Durability
Durable
Durable
Scratch Resistant
Yes
Yes
Appearance
Layered, Banded, Veined and Shiny
Rough and Dull
Interior Uses
Countertops, Decorative Aggregates, Entryways, Floor Tiles, Flooring, Homes, Hotels, Interior Decoration
Decorative Aggregates, Homes, Interior Decoration
Exterior Uses
As Building Stone, As Facing Stone, Paving Stone, Garden Decoration, Office Buildings
As Building Stone, Garden Decoration, Office Buildings
Other Architectural Uses
Curbing
Curbing, Whetstones
Construction Industry
As Dimension Stone, Construction Aggregate, Landscaping, Roadstone
Used for flooring, stair treads, borders and window sills.
Medical Industry
Not Yet Used
Not Yet Used
Antiquity Uses
Artifacts, Sculpture
Artifacts, Monuments, Sculpture
Commercial Uses
Creating Artwork, Gemstone, Jewelry
Fire resistant, Used to manufracture paperweights and bookends
Types
Collapse Breccia, Fault Breccia, Flow Breccia, Pyroclastic Breccia, Igneous Breccia and Impact Breccia
Not Available
Features
Available in Lots of Colors and Patterns, Clasts are smooth to touch
Is one of the oldest rock
Archaeological Significance
Monuments
Not Yet Used
Used
Famous Monuments
Not Applicable
Data Not Available
Famous Sculptures
Data Not Available
Data Not Available
Pictographs
Not Used
Used
Petroglyphs
Not Used
Used
Formation
Breccia is a clastic sedimentary rock which is composed of broken fragments of minerals or rock which are cemented together by a fine-grained matrix and it forms where broken, angular fragments of rock or mineral debris accumulate.
An argillite is a fine-grained sedimentary rock mainly composed of clay particles which forms from lithified muds which contain variable amounts of silt-sized particles.
Mineral Content
Calcite, Clay, Feldspar, Phosphates, Quartz, Silica
Biotite, Chlorite, Feldspar, Micas, Muscovite or Illite, Plagioclase, Pyrite, Quartz
Compound Content
Aluminium Oxide, Ca, NaCl, CaO, Iron(III) Oxide, Potassium Oxide, Sodium Oxide, Silicon Dioxide, Titanium Dioxide
Iron(III) Oxide, Potassium Oxide, MgO, Silicon Dioxide
Types of Metamorphism
Burial Metamorphism, Cataclastic Metamorphism
Not Applicable
Types of Weathering
Biological Weathering, Chemical Weathering, Mechanical Weathering
Biological Weathering
Types of Erosion
Chemical Erosion
Chemical Erosion
Grain Size
Medium to Coarse Grained
Fine Grained
Fracture
Uneven
Conchoidal to Uneven
Streak
White
White to Grey
Porosity
Less Porous
Highly Porous
Luster
Dull to Pearly
Waxy and Dull
Cleavage
Non-Existent
Slaty
Toughness
Not Available
2.6
Specific Gravity
2.86-2.87
2.56-2.68
Transparency
Opaque
Opaque
Density
0 g/cm3
2.54-2.66 g/cm3
Specific Heat Capacity
Not Available
Resistance
Heat Resistant, Impact Resistant, Pressure Resistant, Wear Resistant
Heat Resistant, Impact Resistant
Deposits in Eastern Continents
Asia
China, India, Kazakhstan, Mongolia, Russia, South Korea, Uzbekistan
Bangladesh, China, India, Russia
Africa
Namibia, Nigeria, South Africa
Ethiopia, Kenya, Morocco, South Africa, Tanzania
Europe
Austria, Denmark, Germany, Great Britain, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Sweden, Switzerland, United Kingdom
Austria, France, Germany, Greece, Italy, Romania, Scotland, Spain, Switzerland
Others
Greenland
Not Yet Found
Deposits in Western Continents
North America
Barbados, Canada, Mexico, Panama, USA
USA
South America
Brazil
Bolivia, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, Venezuela
Deposits in Oceania Continent
Australia
New South Wales, New Zealand
New South Wales, New Zealand, Queensland, Victoria, Western Australia
All about Breccia and Argillite Properties
Know all about Breccia and Argillite properties here. All properties of rocks are important as they define the type of rock and its application. Breccia and Argillite belong to Sedimentary Rocks.Texture of Breccia is Brecciated, Clastic whereas that of Argillite is Clastic, Polished. Breccia appears Layered, Banded, Veined and Shiny and Argillite appears Rough and Dull. The luster of Breccia is dull to pearly while that of Argillite is waxy and dull. Breccia is available in beige, black, blue, brown, buff, green, grey, orange, pink, purple, red, rust, white, yellow colors whereas Argillite is available in dark grey to black, pink, red, white colors. The commercial uses of Breccia are creating artwork, gemstone, jewelry and that of Argillite are fire resistant, used to manufracture paperweights and bookends.