Definition
Felsite is a very fine grained volcanic rock that may or may not contain larger crystals and light colored rock that typically requires petrographic examination or chemical analysis for more precise definition
Schist is a medium grade metamorphic rock with medium to large, flat, sheet like grains in a preferred orientation
Discoverer
Unknown
Unknown
Etymology
From English feldspar and -ite
From French schiste, Greek skhistos i.e. split
Class
Igneous Rocks
Metamorphic Rocks
Sub-Class
Durable Rock, Medium Hardness Rock
Durable Rock, Medium Hardness Rock
Other Categories
Fine Grained Rock, Opaque Rock
Coarse Grained Rock, Fine Grained Rock, Medium Grained Rock, Opaque Rock
Texture
Arborescent Patterned, Vitreous
Foliated, Platy
Color
Black, Blue, Brown, Green, Orange, Red, Tan, Yellow
Black, Blue, Brown, Dark Brown, Green, Grey, Silver
Durability
Durable
Durable
Appearance
Layered, Banded, Veined and Shiny
Layered and Shiny
Interior Uses
Decorative Aggregates, Flooring, Interior Decoration
Decorative Aggregates, Floor Tiles, Interior Decoration
Exterior Uses
Paving Stone, Garden Decoration
Garden Decoration, Paving Stone
Other Architectural Uses
Curbing
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Construction Industry
Arrowheads, Cutting Tool, Knives, Scrapers, Spear Points
As Dimension Stone, Building houses or walls, Cement Manufacture, for Road Aggregate, Roadstone
Medical Industry
Surgery
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Antiquity Uses
Artifacts
Artifacts
Commercial Uses
Mirror, Jewelry
Used in aquariums, Writing Slates
Types
Igneous rock
Mica Schists, Calc-Silicate Schists, Graphite Schists, Blueschists, Whiteschists, Greenschists, Hornblende Schist, Talc Schist, Chlorite Schist, Garnet Schist, Glaucophane schist.
Features
Available in Lots of Colors and Patterns, Clasts are smooth to touch, Splintery, Very fine grained rock
Easily splits into thin plates, Smooth to touch
Archaeological Significance
Formation
Felsite is a fine-grained, hard rock which is a type of metasomatite, essentially altered basalt. It forms with or without crystallization, either below the surface as intrusive rocks or on the surface as extrusive rocks.
Schist formed by dynamic metamorphism at high temperatures and pressures that aligns the grains of mica, hornblende and other elongated minerals into thin layers.
Mineral Content
Feldspar, Iron Oxides
Alusite, Amphibole, Biotite, Chlorite, Epidote, Feldspar, Garnet, Graphite, Hornblade, Kyanite, Micas, Muscovite or Illite, Porphyroblasts, Quartz, Sillimanite, Staurolite, Talc
Compound Content
Aluminium Oxide, CaO, Iron(III) Oxide, FeO, Potassium Oxide, MgO, MnO, Sodium Oxide, Phosphorus Pentoxide, Silicon Dioxide, Titanium Dioxide
CaO, Carbon Dioxide, MgO
Types of Metamorphism
Burial Metamorphism, Contact Metamorphism, Impact Metamorphism, Regional Metamorphism
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Types of Weathering
Biological Weathering, Chemical Weathering, Mechanical Weathering
Biological Weathering, Chemical Weathering, Mechanical Weathering
Types of Erosion
Chemical Erosion, Glacier Erosion, Water Erosion
Chemical Erosion, Coastal Erosion, Glacier Erosion
Grain Size
Fine Grained
Medium to Fine Coarse Grained
Fracture
Conchoidal
Conchoidal
Porosity
Very Less Porous
Highly Porous
Specific Gravity
2.6-2.7
2.5-2.9
Transparency
Translucent
Opaque
Density
2.6 g/cm3
2.8-2.9 g/cm3
Resistance
Heat Resistant, Impact Resistant
Impact Resistant, Pressure Resistant, Water Resistant
Deposits in Eastern Continents
Asia
Afghanistan, Indonesia, Japan, Russia
Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, China, India, Japan, Kazakhstan, Malaysia, Pakistan, Russia, Thailand, Turkey, Vietnam
Africa
Kenya
Egypt, Ethiopia, Morocco, Nigeria, South Africa
Europe
Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Italy, Turkey
Austria, England, France, Georgia, Germany, Italy, Liechtenstein, Monaco, Norway, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland
Deposits in Western Continents
North America
Canada, Mexico, USA
Canada, Costa Rica, Cuba, Mexico, Panama, USA
South America
Argentina, Chile, Ecuador, Peru
Brazil, Colombia, Guyana
Deposits in Oceania Continent
Australia
New Zealand
New South Wales, New Zealand, Queensland
All about Felsite and Schist Properties
Know all about Felsite and Schist properties here. All properties of rocks are important as they define the type of rock and its application. Felsite belongs to Igneous Rocks while Schist belongs to Metamorphic Rocks.Texture of Felsite is Arborescent Patterned, Vitreous whereas that of Schist is Foliated, Platy. Felsite appears Layered, Banded, Veined and Shiny and Schist appears Layered and Shiny. The luster of Felsite is vitreous while that of Schist is shiny. Felsite is available in black, blue, brown, green, orange, red, tan, yellow colors whereas Schist is available in black, blue, brown, dark brown, green, grey, silver colors. The commercial uses of Felsite are mirror, jewelry and that of Schist are used in aquariums, writing slates.