Definition
Breccia is a rock consisting of angular fragments of stones which are cemented by finer calcareous material
  
Chert is a hard, dark, opaque sedimentary rock which is composed of silica with an amorphous fine-grained texture
  
History
  
  
Origin
England
  
Unknown
  
Discoverer
Unknown
  
Unknown
  
Etymology
From Italian, literally gravel, Germanic origin and related to break
  
From flint-like quartz, 1670s, of unknown origin- a local term, which has been taken into geological use
  
Class
Sedimentary Rocks
  
Sedimentary Rocks
  
Sub-Class
Durable Rock, Hard Rock
  
Durable Rock, Hard Rock
  
Family
  
  
Group
Not Applicable
  
Not Applicable
  
Other Categories
Coarse Grained Rock, Medium Grained Rock, Opaque Rock
  
Fine Grained Rock, Opaque Rock
  
Texture
Brecciated, Clastic
  
Banded, Rough
  
Color
Beige, Black, Blue, Brown, Buff, Green, Grey, Orange, Pink, Purple, Red, Rust, White, Yellow
  
Black, Brown, Green, Grey, Red, White
  
Maintenance
Less
  
Less
  
Durability
Durable
  
Durable
  
Water Resistant
Yes
  
Yes
  
Scratch Resistant
Yes
  
Yes
  
Stain Resistant
Yes
  
Yes
  
Wind Resistant
Yes
  
No
  
Acid Resistant
No
  
Yes
  
Appearance
Layered, Banded, Veined and Shiny
  
Glassy or Pearly
  
Architecture
  
  
Interior Uses
Countertops, Decorative Aggregates, Entryways, Floor Tiles, Flooring, Homes, Hotels, Interior Decoration
  
Decorative Aggregates, Homes
  
Exterior Uses
As Building Stone, As Facing Stone, Paving Stone, Garden Decoration, Office Buildings
  
As Building Stone, As Facing Stone, Garden Decoration, Office Buildings
  
Other Architectural Uses
Curbing
  
Curbing
  
Industry
  
  
Construction Industry
As Dimension Stone, Construction Aggregate, Landscaping, Roadstone
  
Arrowheads, Construction Aggregate, Cutting Tool, Spear Points
  
Medical Industry
Not Yet Used
  
Not Yet Used
  
Antiquity Uses
Artifacts, Sculpture
  
Artifacts, Monuments
  
Other Uses
  
  
Commercial Uses
Creating Artwork, Gemstone, Jewelry
  
Creating Artwork, Gemstone, In fire-starting tools, Jewelry, To ignite fire, Used in flintlock firearms
  
Types
Collapse Breccia, Fault Breccia, Flow Breccia, Pyroclastic Breccia, Igneous Breccia and Impact Breccia
  
Flint, Jasper, Radiolarite, Common Chert, Chalcedony, Agate, Onyx, Opal, Magadi-type Chert, Porcelanite, Siliceous Sinter
  
Features
Available in Lots of Colors and Patterns, Clasts are smooth to touch
  
Clasts are smooth to touch, Easily splits into thin plates, Has High structural resistance against erosion and climate
  
Archaeological Significance
  
  
Monuments
Not Yet Used
  
Used
  
Famous Monuments
Not Applicable
  
Data Not Available
  
Sculpture
Used
  
Not Yet Used
  
Famous Sculptures
Data Not Available
  
Not Applicable
  
Pictographs
Not Used
  
Not Used
  
Petroglyphs
Not Used
  
Not Used
  
Figurines
Used
  
Not Yet Used
  
Fossils
Present
  
Present
  
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.
  
Chert forms when microcrystals of silicon dioxide grow within soft sediments that become limestone or chalk. The chert formation can be either of chemical or biological origin.
  
Composition
  
  
Mineral Content
Calcite, Clay, Feldspar, Phosphates, Quartz, Silica
  
Quartz, Silicon
  
Compound Content
Aluminium Oxide, Ca, NaCl, CaO, Iron(III) Oxide, Potassium Oxide, Sodium Oxide, Silicon Dioxide, Titanium Dioxide
  
Silicon Dioxide
  
Transformation
  
  
Metamorphism
Yes
  
No
  
Types of Metamorphism
Burial Metamorphism, Cataclastic Metamorphism
  
Not Applicable
  
Weathering
Yes
  
No
  
Types of Weathering
Biological Weathering, Chemical Weathering, Mechanical Weathering
  
Not Applicable
  
Erosion
Yes
  
Yes
  
Types of Erosion
Chemical Erosion
  
Chemical Erosion
  
Physical Properties
  
  
Hardness
7
  
6.5-7
  
Grain Size
Medium to Coarse Grained
  
Very fine-grained
  
Fracture
Uneven
  
Uneven, Splintery or Conchoidal
  
Streak
White
  
White
  
Porosity
Less Porous
  
Highly Porous
  
Luster
Dull to Pearly
  
Waxy and Dull
  
Compressive Strength
Not Available
  
450.00 N/mm
2
  
1
Cleavage
Non-Existent
  
Non-Existent
  
Toughness
Not Available
  
1.5
  
Specific Gravity
2.86-2.87
  
2.5-2.8
  
Transparency
Opaque
  
Translucent to Opaque
  
Density
0 g/cm3
  
2.7 g/cm3
  
Thermal Properties
  
  
Specific Heat Capacity
Not Available
  
0.74 kJ/Kg K
  
19
Resistance
Heat Resistant, Impact Resistant, Pressure Resistant, Wear Resistant
  
Heat Resistant, Impact Resistant, Pressure Resistant, Wear Resistant
  
Deposits in Eastern Continents
  
  
Asia
China, India, Kazakhstan, Mongolia, Russia, South Korea, Uzbekistan
  
China, India, Iran, Japan, Oman, Russia, Saudi Arabia, Taiwan, Thailand, Vietnam
  
Africa
Namibia, Nigeria, South Africa
  
Kenya, Morocco, South Africa, Tanzania
  
Europe
Austria, Denmark, Germany, Great Britain, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Sweden, Switzerland, United Kingdom
  
Austria, France, Greece, Italy, Malta, Poland, Portugal, Serbia, Spain, Sweden, United Kingdom
  
Others
Greenland
  
Greenland, Mid-Atlantic Ridge
  
Deposits in Western Continents
  
  
North America
Barbados, Canada, Mexico, Panama, USA
  
Canada, Mexico, USA
  
South America
Brazil
  
Bolivia, Brazil
  
Deposits in Oceania Continent
  
  
Australia
New South Wales, New Zealand
  
New South Wales, Queensland, South Australia, Western Australia
  
Breccia vs Chert Characteristics
Though some rocks look identical, they have certain characteristics which distinguish them from others. Characteristics of rocks include texture, appearance, color, fracture, streak, hardness etc. Breccia vs Chert characteristics assist us to distinguish and recognize rocks. Also you can check about Properties of Breccia and Properties of Chert. Learn more about Breccia vs Chert in the next section. The interior uses of Breccia include Countertops, Decorative aggregates, Entryways, Floor tiles, Flooring, Homes, Hotels and Interior decoration whereas the interior uses of Chert include Decorative aggregates and Homes. Due to some exceptional properties of Breccia and Chert, they have various applications in construction industry. The uses of Breccia in construction industry include As dimension stone, Construction aggregate, Landscaping, Roadstone and that of Chert include Arrowheads, Construction aggregate, Cutting tool, Spear points.
More about Breccia and Chert
Here you can know more about Breccia and Chert. The life cycle of a rock consists of formation of rock, composition of rock and transformation of rock. The composition of Breccia and Chert consists of mineral content and compound content. The mineral content of Breccia includes Calcite, Clay, Feldspar, Phosphates, Quartz, Silica and mineral content of Chert includes Quartz, Silicon. You can also check out the list of all Sedimentary Rocks. When we have to compare Breccia vs Chert, the texture, color and appearance plays an important role in determining the type of rock. Breccia is available in beige, black, blue, brown, buff, green, grey, orange, pink, purple, red, rust, white, yellow colors whereas, Chert is available in black, brown, green, grey, red, white colors. Appearance of Breccia is Layered, Banded, Veined and Shiny and that of Chert is Glassy or Pearly. Properties of rock is another aspect for Breccia vs Chert. The hardness of Breccia is 7 and that of Chert is 6.5-7. The types of Breccia are Collapse Breccia, Fault Breccia, Flow Breccia, Pyroclastic Breccia, Igneous Breccia and Impact Breccia whereas types of Chert are Flint, Jasper, Radiolarite, Common Chert, Chalcedony, Agate, Onyx, Opal, Magadi-type Chert, Porcelanite, Siliceous Sinter. Streak of rock is the color of powder produced when it is dragged across an unweathered surface. The streak of Breccia and Chert is white. The specific heat capacity of Breccia is Not Available and that of Chert is 0.74 kJ/Kg K. Depending on the properties like hardness, toughness, specific heat capacity, porosity etc., rocks are resistant to heat, wear, impact, etc.Breccia is heat resistant, impact resistant, pressure resistant, wear resistant whereas Chert is heat resistant, impact resistant, pressure resistant, wear resistant.