Definition
Dolomite is a sedimentary rock containing more than 50 percent of the mineral dolomite by weight
Breccia is a rock consisting of angular fragments of stones which are cemented by finer calcareous material
Origin
Southern Alps, France
England
Discoverer
Dolomieu
Unknown
Etymology
From French, from the name of Dolomieu (1750–1801), the French geologist who discovered the rock
From Italian, literally gravel, Germanic origin and related to break
Class
Sedimentary Rocks
Sedimentary Rocks
Sub-Class
Durable Rock, Medium Hardness Rock
Durable Rock, Hard Rock
Group
Not Applicable
Not Applicable
Other Categories
Coarse Grained Rock, Fine Grained Rock, Medium Grained Rock, Opaque Rock
Coarse Grained Rock, Medium Grained Rock, Opaque Rock
Texture
Earthy
Brecciated, Clastic
Color
Black, Brown, Colourless, Green, Grey, Pink, White
Beige, Black, Blue, Brown, Buff, Green, Grey, Orange, Pink, Purple, Red, Rust, White, Yellow
Durability
Durable
Durable
Scratch Resistant
Yes
Yes
Appearance
Glassy or Pearly
Layered, Banded, Veined and Shiny
Interior Uses
Decorative Aggregates, Homes, Interior Decoration
Countertops, Decorative Aggregates, Entryways, Floor Tiles, Flooring, Homes, Hotels, Interior Decoration
Exterior Uses
Garden Decoration, Office Buildings
As Building Stone, As Facing Stone, Paving Stone, Garden Decoration, Office Buildings
Other Architectural Uses
Not Yet Used
Curbing
Construction Industry
As a Flux in the Production of Steel and Pig Iron, As a Sintering Agent in Steel Industry to process Iron Ore, As Dimension Stone, Cement Manufacture, for Road Aggregate, Making natural cement, Manufacture of Magnesium and Dolomite Refractories, Production of Glass and Ceramics, Serves as an Oil and Gas Reservoir rock
As Dimension Stone, Construction Aggregate, Landscaping, Roadstone
Medical Industry
Taken as a Supplement for Calcium or Magnesium
Not Yet Used
Antiquity Uses
Artifacts, Jewellery, Monuments, Sculpture, Small Figurines
Artifacts, Sculpture
Commercial Uses
An Oil and Gas Reservoir, As a Feed Additive for Livestock, Gemstone, Metallurgical Flux, Production of Lime, Soil Conditioner, Source of Magnesia (MgO)
Creating Artwork, Gemstone, Jewelry
Types
Boninite and Jasperoid
Collapse Breccia, Fault Breccia, Flow Breccia, Pyroclastic Breccia, Igneous Breccia and Impact Breccia
Features
Host Rock for Lead, Traps for subsurface fluids like Oil and Natural Gas., Zinc and Copper Deposits
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
Famous Sculptures
Data Not Available
Data Not Available
Pictographs
Used
Not Used
Petroglyphs
Used
Not Used
Formation
Dolomite rocks are originally deposited as calcite or aragonite rich limestone, but during diagenesis process, the calcite or aragonite is transformed into dolomite.
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.
Mineral Content
Clay Minerals, Pyrite, Quartz, Sulfides
Calcite, Clay, Feldspar, Phosphates, Quartz, Silica
Compound Content
NaCl, CaO, Carbon Dioxide, Magnesium Carbonate, MgO
Aluminium Oxide, Ca, NaCl, CaO, Iron(III) Oxide, Potassium Oxide, Sodium Oxide, Silicon Dioxide, Titanium Dioxide
Types of Metamorphism
Burial Metamorphism, Cataclastic Metamorphism, Contact Metamorphism
Burial Metamorphism, Cataclastic Metamorphism
Types of Weathering
Not Applicable
Biological Weathering, Chemical Weathering, Mechanical Weathering
Types of Erosion
Not Applicable
Chemical Erosion
Grain Size
Medium to Fine Coarse Grained
Medium to Coarse Grained
Fracture
Conchoidal
Uneven
Porosity
Less Porous
Less Porous
Luster
Vitreous and Pearly
Dull to Pearly
Compressive Strength
Not Available
Cleavage
Perfect
Non-Existent
Toughness
1
Not Available
Specific Gravity
2.8-3
2.86-2.87
Transparency
Transparent to Translucent
Opaque
Density
2.8-2.9 g/cm3
0 g/cm3
Specific Heat Capacity
Not Available
Resistance
Heat Resistant, Pressure Resistant, Wear Resistant
Heat Resistant, Impact Resistant, Pressure Resistant, Wear Resistant
Deposits in Eastern Continents
Asia
China, India
China, India, Kazakhstan, Mongolia, Russia, South Korea, Uzbekistan
Africa
Morocco, Namibia
Namibia, Nigeria, South Africa
Europe
Austria, Italy, Romania, Spain, Switzerland
Austria, Denmark, Germany, Great Britain, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Sweden, Switzerland, United Kingdom
Others
Not Yet Found
Greenland
Deposits in Western Continents
North America
Mexico, USA
Barbados, Canada, Mexico, Panama, USA
South America
Brazil, Colombia
Brazil
Deposits in Oceania Continent
Australia
New South Wales, Queensland, Yorke Peninsula
New South Wales, New Zealand
All about Dolomite and Breccia Properties
Know all about Dolomite and Breccia properties here. All properties of rocks are important as they define the type of rock and its application. Dolomite and Breccia belong to Sedimentary Rocks.Texture of Dolomite is Earthy whereas that of Breccia is Brecciated, Clastic. Dolomite appears Glassy or Pearly and Breccia appears Layered, Banded, Veined and Shiny. The luster of Dolomite is vitreous and pearly while that of Breccia is dull to pearly. Dolomite is available in black, brown, colourless, green, grey, pink, 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 Dolomite are an oil and gas reservoir, as a feed additive for livestock, gemstone, metallurgical flux, production of lime, soil conditioner, source of magnesia (mgo) and that of Breccia are creating artwork, gemstone, jewelry.