Home
Compare Rocks


Chert and Breccia


Breccia and Chert


Definition

Definition
Chert is a hard, dark, opaque sedimentary rock which is composed of silica with an amorphous fine-grained texture   
Breccia is a rock consisting of angular fragments of stones which are cemented by finer calcareous material   

History
  
  

Origin
Unknown   
England   

Discoverer
Unknown   
Unknown   

Etymology
From flint-like quartz, 1670s, of unknown origin- a local term, which has been taken into geological use   
From Italian, literally gravel, Germanic origin and related to break   

Class
Sedimentary Rocks   
Sedimentary Rocks   

Sub-Class
Durable Rock, Hard Rock   
Durable Rock, Hard Rock   

Family
  
  

Group
Not Applicable   
Not Applicable   

Other Categories
Fine Grained Rock, Opaque Rock   
Coarse Grained Rock, Medium Grained Rock, Opaque Rock   

Texture

Texture
Banded, Rough   
Brecciated, Clastic   

Color
Black, Brown, Green, Grey, Red, White   
Beige, Black, Blue, Brown, Buff, Green, Grey, Orange, Pink, Purple, Red, Rust, White, Yellow   

Maintenance
Less   
Less   

Durability
Durable   
Durable   

Water Resistant
Yes   
Yes   

Scratch Resistant
Yes   
Yes   

Stain Resistant
Yes   
Yes   

Wind Resistant
No   
Yes   

Acid Resistant
Yes   
No   

Appearance
Glassy or Pearly   
Layered, Banded, Veined and Shiny   

Uses

Architecture
  
  

Interior Uses
Decorative Aggregates, Homes   
Countertops, Decorative Aggregates, Entryways, Floor Tiles, Flooring, Homes, Hotels, Interior Decoration   

Exterior Uses
As Building Stone, As Facing Stone, Garden Decoration, Office Buildings   
As Building Stone, As Facing Stone, Paving Stone, Garden Decoration, Office Buildings   

Other Architectural Uses
Curbing   
Curbing   

Industry
  
  

Construction Industry
Arrowheads, Construction Aggregate, Cutting Tool, Spear Points   
As Dimension Stone, Construction Aggregate, Landscaping, Roadstone   

Medical Industry
Not Yet Used   
Not Yet Used   

Antiquity Uses
Artifacts, Monuments   
Artifacts, Sculpture   

Other Uses
  
  

Commercial Uses
Creating Artwork, Gemstone, In fire-starting tools, Jewelry, To ignite fire, Used in flintlock firearms   
Creating Artwork, Gemstone, Jewelry   

Types

Types
Flint, Jasper, Radiolarite, Common Chert, Chalcedony, Agate, Onyx, Opal, Magadi-type Chert, Porcelanite, Siliceous Sinter   
Collapse Breccia, Fault Breccia, Flow Breccia, Pyroclastic Breccia, Igneous Breccia and Impact Breccia   

Features
Clasts are smooth to touch, Easily splits into thin plates, Has High structural resistance against erosion and climate   
Available in Lots of Colors and Patterns, Clasts are smooth to touch   

Archaeological Significance
  
  

Monuments
Used   
Not Yet Used   

Famous Monuments
Data Not Available   
Not Applicable   

Sculpture
Not Yet Used   
Used   

Famous Sculptures
Not Applicable   
Data Not Available   

Pictographs
Not Used   
Not Used   

Petroglyphs
Not Used   
Not Used   

Figurines
Not Yet Used   
Used   

Fossils
Present   
Present   

Formation

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.   
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.   

Composition
  
  

Mineral Content
Quartz, Silicon   
Calcite, Clay, Feldspar, Phosphates, Quartz, Silica   

Compound Content
Silicon Dioxide   
Aluminium Oxide, Ca, NaCl, CaO, Iron(III) Oxide, Potassium Oxide, Sodium Oxide, Silicon Dioxide, Titanium Dioxide   

Transformation
  
  

Metamorphism
No   
Yes   

Types of Metamorphism
Not Applicable   
Burial Metamorphism, Cataclastic Metamorphism   

Weathering
No   
Yes   

Types of Weathering
Not Applicable   
Biological Weathering, Chemical Weathering, Mechanical Weathering   

Erosion
Yes   
Yes   

Types of Erosion
Chemical Erosion   
Chemical Erosion   

Properties

Physical Properties
  
  

Hardness
6.5-7   
7   

Grain Size
Very fine-grained   
Medium to Coarse Grained   

Fracture
Uneven, Splintery or Conchoidal   
Uneven   

Streak
White   
White   

Porosity
Highly Porous   
Less Porous   

Luster
Waxy and Dull   
Dull to Pearly   

Compressive Strength
450.00 N/mm2   
1
Not Available   

Cleavage
Non-Existent   
Non-Existent   

Toughness
1.5   
Not Available   

Specific Gravity
2.5-2.8   
2.86-2.87   

Transparency
Translucent to Opaque   
Opaque   

Density
2.7 g/cm3   
0 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, Pressure Resistant, Wear Resistant   

Reserves

Deposits in Eastern Continents
  
  

Asia
China, India, Iran, Japan, Oman, Russia, Saudi Arabia, Taiwan, Thailand, Vietnam   
China, India, Kazakhstan, Mongolia, Russia, South Korea, Uzbekistan   

Africa
Kenya, Morocco, South Africa, Tanzania   
Namibia, Nigeria, South Africa   

Europe
Austria, France, Greece, Italy, Malta, Poland, Portugal, Serbia, Spain, Sweden, United Kingdom   
Austria, Denmark, Germany, Great Britain, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Sweden, Switzerland, United Kingdom   

Others
Greenland, Mid-Atlantic Ridge   
Greenland   

Deposits in Western Continents
  
  

North America
Canada, Mexico, USA   
Barbados, Canada, Mexico, Panama, USA   

South America
Bolivia, Brazil   
Brazil   

Deposits in Oceania Continent
  
  

Australia
New South Wales, Queensland, South Australia, Western Australia   
New South Wales, New Zealand   

Summary >>
<< Reserves

All about Chert and Breccia Properties

Know all about Chert and Breccia properties here. All properties of rocks are important as they define the type of rock and its application. Chert and Breccia belong to Sedimentary Rocks.Texture of Chert is Banded, Rough whereas that of Breccia is Brecciated, Clastic. Chert appears Glassy or Pearly and Breccia appears Layered, Banded, Veined and Shiny. The luster of Chert is waxy and dull while that of Breccia is dull to pearly. Chert is available in black, brown, green, grey, red, white colors whereas Breccia is available in beige, black, blue, brown, buff, green, grey, orange, pink, purple, red, rust, white, yellow colors. The commercial uses of Chert and Breccia are creating artwork, gemstone, in fire-starting tools, jewelry, to ignite fire, used in flintlock firearms.

Compare Sedimentary Rocks

Fossil Rocks

Fossil Rocks

» More Fossil Rocks

Compare Sedimentary Rocks

» More Compare Sedimentary Rocks