Definition
Chert is a hard, dark, opaque sedimentary rock which is composed of silica with an amorphous fine-grained texture
  
Appinite is an igneous rock in which the crystals are so fine grained that individual minerals cannot be easily distinguished
  
History
  
  
Discoverer
Unknown
  
Unknown
  
Etymology
From flint-like quartz, 1670s, of unknown origin- a local term, which has been taken into geological use
  
From the variety of Lamprophyre Greek lampros bright and shining + porphureos purple
  
Class
Sedimentary Rocks
  
Igneous Rocks
  
Sub-Class
Durable Rock, Hard Rock
  
Durable Rock, Medium Hardness Rock
  
Family
  
  
Group
Not Applicable
  
Plutonic
  
Other Categories
Fine Grained Rock, Opaque Rock
  
Coarse Grained Rock, Fine Grained Rock, Opaque Rock
  
Texture
Banded, Rough
  
Porphyritic
  
Color
Black, Brown, Green, Grey, Red, White
  
Black, Bluish - Grey, Brown, Dark Greenish - Grey, Green, Grey
  
Maintenance
Less
  
Less
  
Durability
Durable
  
Durable
  
Water Resistant
Yes
  
Yes
  
Scratch Resistant
Yes
  
Yes
  
Stain Resistant
Yes
  
Yes
  
Wind Resistant
No
  
No
  
Acid Resistant
Yes
  
Yes
  
Appearance
Glassy or Pearly
  
Dull, Banded and Foilated
  
Architecture
  
  
Interior Uses
Decorative Aggregates, Homes
  
Decorative Aggregates, Homes, Interior Decoration
  
Exterior Uses
As Building Stone, As Facing Stone, Garden Decoration, Office Buildings
  
Paving Stone, Garden Decoration, Office Buildings
  
Other Architectural Uses
Curbing
  
Whetstones
  
Industry
  
  
Construction Industry
Arrowheads, Construction Aggregate, Cutting Tool, Spear Points
  
As Dimension Stone, Cement Manufacture, for Road Aggregate, Making natural cement, Manufacture of Magnesium and Dolomite Refractories
  
Medical Industry
Not Yet Used
  
Taken as a Supplement for Calcium or Magnesium
  
Antiquity Uses
Artifacts, Monuments
  
Artifacts, Monuments, Sculpture, Small Figurines
  
Other Uses
  
  
Commercial Uses
Creating Artwork, Gemstone, In fire-starting tools, Jewelry, To ignite fire, Used in flintlock firearms
  
An Oil and Gas Reservoir, As a Feed Additive for Livestock, Gemstone, Metallurgical Flux, Production of Lime, Soil Conditioner
  
Types
Flint, Jasper, Radiolarite, Common Chert, Chalcedony, Agate, Onyx, Opal, Magadi-type Chert, Porcelanite, Siliceous Sinter
  
Not Available
  
Features
Clasts are smooth to touch, Easily splits into thin plates, Has High structural resistance against erosion and climate
  
Always found as volcanic pipes over deep continental crust, Host rock for Diamond, Is one of the oldest rock, Surfaces are often shiny
  
Archaeological Significance
  
  
Monuments
Used
  
Used
  
Famous Monuments
Data Not Available
  
Data Not Available
  
Sculpture
Not Yet Used
  
Used
  
Famous Sculptures
Not Applicable
  
Data Not Available
  
Pictographs
Not Used
  
Used
  
Petroglyphs
Not Used
  
Used
  
Figurines
Not Yet Used
  
Used
  
Fossils
Present
  
Absent
  
Formation
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.
  
The formation of Appinite takes place deep beneath the Earth’s surface at around 150 to 450 kms, and are erupted rapidly and violently.
  
Composition
  
  
Mineral Content
Quartz, Silicon
  
Amphibole, Carbonate, Garnet, Micas, Olivine, Phlogopite, Pyroxene
  
Compound Content
Silicon Dioxide
  
Aluminium Oxide, NaCl, CaO, Iron(III) Oxide, FeO, Potassium Oxide, MgO, MnO, Sodium Oxide, Silicon Dioxide, Titanium Dioxide
  
Transformation
  
  
Metamorphism
No
  
Yes
  
Types of Metamorphism
Not Applicable
  
Burial Metamorphism, Cataclastic Metamorphism, Contact Metamorphism, Hydrothermal Metamorphism, Regional Metamorphism
  
Weathering
No
  
Yes
  
Types of Weathering
Not Applicable
  
Chemical Weathering, Mechanical Weathering
  
Erosion
Yes
  
Yes
  
Types of Erosion
Chemical Erosion
  
Chemical Erosion, Water Erosion, Wind Erosion
  
Physical Properties
  
  
Hardness
6.5-7
  
5-6
  
Grain Size
Very fine-grained
  
Fine to Coarse Grained
  
Fracture
Uneven, Splintery or Conchoidal
  
Conchoidal
  
Streak
White
  
White
  
Porosity
Highly Porous
  
Very Less Porous
  
Luster
Waxy and Dull
  
Subvitreous to Dull
  
Compressive Strength
450.00 N/mm
2
  
1
Not Available
  
Cleavage
Non-Existent
  
Conchoidal
  
Toughness
1.5
  
Not Available
  
Specific Gravity
2.5-2.8
  
2.86-2.87
  
Transparency
Translucent to Opaque
  
Translucent to Opaque
  
Density
2.7 g/cm3
  
2.95-2.96 g/cm3
  
Thermal Properties
  
  
Specific Heat Capacity
0.74 kJ/Kg K
  
19
Not Available
  
Resistance
Heat Resistant, Impact Resistant, Pressure Resistant, Wear Resistant
  
Heat Resistant, Impact Resistant
  
Deposits in Eastern Continents
  
  
Asia
China, India, Iran, Japan, Oman, Russia, Saudi Arabia, Taiwan, Thailand, Vietnam
  
Russia
  
Africa
Kenya, Morocco, South Africa, Tanzania
  
Angola, Botswana, Cameroon, Ethiopia, South Africa
  
Europe
Austria, France, Greece, Italy, Malta, Poland, Portugal, Serbia, Spain, Sweden, United Kingdom
  
England, Hungary, Iceland, United Kingdom
  
Others
Greenland, Mid-Atlantic Ridge
  
Antarctica, Greenland
  
Deposits in Western Continents
  
  
North America
Canada, Mexico, USA
  
Canada, Mexico, USA
  
South America
Bolivia, Brazil
  
Argentina, Colombia, Ecuador
  
Deposits in Oceania Continent
  
  
Australia
New South Wales, Queensland, South Australia, Western Australia
  
New South Wales, New Zealand, Queensland, South Australia, Western Australia