Definition
Breccia is a rock consisting of angular fragments of stones which are cemented by finer calcareous material
  
Conglomerate is a sedimentary rock which forms from rounded gravel and boulder sized clasts which are cemented together in a matrix
  
History
  
  
Origin
England
  
Italy
  
Discoverer
Unknown
  
Unknown
  
Etymology
From Italian, literally gravel, Germanic origin and related to break
  
From Latin conglomeratus, to roll together, i.e. from com together + glomerare to gather into a ball, from glomus (genitive glomeris) a ball
  
Class
Sedimentary Rocks
  
Sedimentary Rocks
  
Sub-Class
Durable Rock, Hard Rock
  
Durable Rock, Soft Rock
  
Family
  
  
Group
Not Applicable
  
Not Applicable
  
Other Categories
Coarse Grained Rock, Medium Grained Rock, Opaque Rock
  
Coarse Grained Rock, Opaque Rock
  
Texture
Brecciated, Clastic
  
Clastic
  
Color
Beige, Black, Blue, Brown, Buff, Green, Grey, Orange, Pink, Purple, Red, Rust, White, Yellow
  
Beige, Black, Brown, Buff, Light to Dark Grey, Orange, Rust, White, Yellow
  
Maintenance
Less
  
More
  
Durability
Durable
  
Durable
  
Water Resistant
Yes
  
No
  
Scratch Resistant
Yes
  
Yes
  
Stain Resistant
Yes
  
No
  
Wind Resistant
Yes
  
No
  
Acid Resistant
No
  
No
  
Appearance
Layered, Banded, Veined and Shiny
  
Shiny and Rounded
  
Architecture
  
  
Interior Uses
Countertops, Decorative Aggregates, Entryways, Floor Tiles, Flooring, Homes, Hotels, Interior Decoration
  
Decorative Aggregates, Floor Tiles, 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, Roof Tiles
  
Other Architectural Uses
Curbing
  
Curbing
  
Industry
  
  
Construction Industry
As Dimension Stone, Construction Aggregate, Landscaping, Roadstone
  
As Dimension Stone, Cement Manufacture, Construction Aggregate, for Road Aggregate, Roadstone
  
Medical Industry
Not Yet Used
  
Not Yet Used
  
Antiquity Uses
Artifacts, Sculpture
  
Artifacts, Monuments, Sculpture, Small Figurines
  
Other Uses
  
  
Commercial Uses
Creating Artwork, Gemstone, Jewelry
  
Cemetery Markers, In aquifers, Tombstones
  
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
  
Clasts are smooth to touch, Is one of the oldest rock, Matrix variable
  
Archaeological Significance
  
  
Monuments
Not Yet Used
  
Used
  
Famous Monuments
Not Applicable
  
Data Not Available
  
Sculpture
Used
  
Used
  
Famous Sculptures
Data Not Available
  
Data Not Available
  
Pictographs
Not Used
  
Used
  
Petroglyphs
Not Used
  
Used
  
Figurines
Used
  
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.
  
Conglomerate forms where sediments consisting mainly of pebble and cobble-size clasts at least two millimeters in diameter starts accumulating.
  
Composition
  
  
Mineral Content
Calcite, Clay, Feldspar, Phosphates, Quartz, Silica
  
Clay, Sand, Silica, Silt
  
Compound Content
Aluminium Oxide, Ca, NaCl, CaO, Iron(III) Oxide, Potassium Oxide, Sodium Oxide, Silicon Dioxide, Titanium Dioxide
  
NaCl, CaO
  
Transformation
  
  
Metamorphism
Yes
  
Yes
  
Types of Metamorphism
Burial Metamorphism, Cataclastic Metamorphism
  
Burial Metamorphism, Cataclastic Metamorphism, Regional Metamorphism
  
Weathering
Yes
  
No
  
Types of Weathering
Biological Weathering, Chemical Weathering, Mechanical Weathering
  
Not Applicable
  
Erosion
Yes
  
No
  
Types of Erosion
Chemical Erosion
  
Chemical Erosion, Coastal Erosion
  
Physical Properties
  
  
Hardness
7
  
2-3
  
Grain Size
Medium to Coarse Grained
  
Coarse Grained
  
Fracture
Uneven
  
Uneven
  
Streak
White
  
White
  
Porosity
Less Porous
  
Highly Porous
  
Luster
Dull to Pearly
  
Dull
  
Cleavage
Non-Existent
  
Non-Existent
  
Toughness
Not Available
  
Not Available
  
Specific Gravity
2.86-2.87
  
2.86-2.88
  
Transparency
Opaque
  
Opaque
  
Density
0 g/cm3
  
1.7-2.3 g/cm3
  
Thermal Properties
  
  
Specific Heat Capacity
Not Available
  
0.92 kJ/Kg K
  
10
Resistance
Heat Resistant, Impact Resistant, Pressure Resistant, Wear Resistant
  
Heat Resistant
  
Deposits in Eastern Continents
  
  
Asia
China, India, Kazakhstan, Mongolia, Russia, South Korea, Uzbekistan
  
China, India, Kazakhstan, Mongolia, Russia, Uzbekistan
  
Africa
Namibia, Nigeria, South Africa
  
Namibia, Nigeria, South Africa
  
Europe
Austria, Denmark, Germany, Great Britain, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Sweden, Switzerland, United Kingdom
  
Austria, Denmark, Germany, Great Britain, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Sweden, Switzerland, United Kingdom
  
Others
Greenland
  
Greenland
  
Deposits in Western Continents
  
  
North America
Barbados, Canada, Mexico, Panama, USA
  
Canada, USA
  
South America
Brazil
  
Brazil
  
Deposits in Oceania Continent
  
  
Australia
New South Wales, New Zealand
  
New South Wales, New Zealand
  
Breccia vs Conglomerate 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 Conglomerate characteristics assist us to distinguish and recognize rocks. Also you can check about Properties of Breccia and Properties of Conglomerate. Learn more about Breccia vs Conglomerate 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 Conglomerate include Decorative aggregates, Floor tiles and Homes. Due to some exceptional properties of Breccia and Conglomerate, 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 Conglomerate include As dimension stone, Cement manufacture, Construction aggregate, For road aggregate, Roadstone.
More about Breccia and Conglomerate
Here you can know more about Breccia and Conglomerate. The life cycle of a rock consists of formation of rock, composition of rock and transformation of rock. The composition of Breccia and Conglomerate consists of mineral content and compound content. The mineral content of Breccia includes Calcite, Clay, Feldspar, Phosphates, Quartz, Silica and mineral content of Conglomerate includes Clay, Sand, Silica, Silt. You can also check out the list of all Sedimentary Rocks. When we have to compare Breccia vs Conglomerate, 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, Conglomerate is available in beige, black, brown, buff, light to dark grey, orange, rust, white, yellow colors. Appearance of Breccia is Layered, Banded, Veined and Shiny and that of Conglomerate is Shiny and Rounded. Properties of rock is another aspect for Breccia vs Conglomerate. The hardness of Breccia is 7 and that of Conglomerate is 2-3. The types of Breccia are Collapse Breccia, Fault Breccia, Flow Breccia, Pyroclastic Breccia, Igneous Breccia and Impact Breccia whereas types of Conglomerate are Not Available. Streak of rock is the color of powder produced when it is dragged across an unweathered surface. The streak of Breccia and Conglomerate is white. The specific heat capacity of Breccia is Not Available and that of Conglomerate is 0.92 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 Conglomerate is heat resistant.