Home
Compare Rocks


Felsite and Serpentinite


Serpentinite and Felsite


Definition

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   
A hydration and metamorphic transformation of ultramafic rock from the Earth's mantle is called as serpentinization, a group of minerals is formed by serpentinization compose rock 'serpentinite'.   

History
  
  

Origin
Unknown   
USA   

Discoverer
Unknown   
Unknown   

Etymology
From English feldspar and -ite   
From English word serpentinization.   

Class
Igneous Rocks   
Metamorphic Rocks   

Sub-Class
Durable Rock, Medium Hardness Rock   
Durable Rock, Medium Hardness Rock   

Family
  
  

Group
Volcanic   
Not Applicable   

Other Categories
Fine Grained Rock, Opaque Rock   
Fine Grained Rock, Opaque Rock   

Texture

Texture
Arborescent Patterned, Vitreous   
Earthy   

Color
Black, Blue, Brown, Green, Orange, Red, Tan, Yellow   
Black, Brown, Colourless, Green, Grey, White   

Maintenance
Less   
Less   

Durability
Durable   
Durable   

Water Resistant
Yes   
Yes   

Scratch Resistant
Yes   
No   

Stain Resistant
No   
Yes   

Wind Resistant
Yes   
No   

Acid Resistant
No   
No   

Appearance
Layered, Banded, Veined and Shiny   
Rough and Dull   

Uses

Architecture
  
  

Interior Uses
Decorative Aggregates, Flooring, Interior Decoration   
Decorative Aggregates, Interior Decoration   

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

Other Architectural Uses
Curbing   
Curbing   

Industry
  
  

Construction Industry
Arrowheads, Cutting Tool, Knives, Scrapers, Spear Points   
As Dimension Stone, Cement Manufacture, for Road Aggregate, Making natural cement   

Medical Industry
Surgery   
Not Yet Used   

Antiquity Uses
Artifacts   
Artifacts, Jewellery, Monuments, Sculpture   

Other Uses
  
  

Commercial Uses
Mirror, Jewelry   
Commemorative Tablets, Creating Artwork   

Types

Types
Not Available   
Jadeitite   

Features
Available in Lots of Colors and Patterns, Clasts are smooth to touch, Splintery, Very fine grained rock   
Host Rock for Lead   

Archaeological Significance
  
  

Monuments
Not Yet Used   
Used   

Famous Monuments
Not Applicable   
Data Not Available   

Sculpture
Not Yet Used   
Used   

Famous Sculptures
Not Applicable   
Data Not Available   

Pictographs
Used   
Used   

Petroglyphs
Used   
Used   

Figurines
Not Yet Used   
Used   

Fossils
Absent   
Absent   

Formation

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.   
Due to change in environmental conditions, rocks are heated and pressurized deep inside the Earth's surface. Serpentinite is formed from the extreme heat caused by magma or by the intense collisions and friction of tectonic plates.   

Composition
  
  

Mineral Content
Feldspar, Iron Oxides   
Carbonate, Magnetite, Pyrrhotite, Serpentine, Sulfides   

Compound Content
Aluminium Oxide, CaO, Iron(III) Oxide, FeO, Potassium Oxide, MgO, MnO, Sodium Oxide, Phosphorus Pentoxide, Silicon Dioxide, Titanium Dioxide   
Ca, CaO, Carbon Dioxide, KCl, MgO, Sulfur Dioxide, Sulphur   

Transformation
  
  

Metamorphism
Yes   
Yes   

Types of Metamorphism
Burial Metamorphism, Contact Metamorphism, Impact Metamorphism, Regional Metamorphism   
Burial Metamorphism, Cataclastic Metamorphism, Contact Metamorphism, Hydrothermal Metamorphism, Impact Metamorphism   

Weathering
Yes   
No   

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

Erosion
Yes   
Yes   

Types of Erosion
Chemical Erosion, Glacier Erosion, Water Erosion   
Chemical Erosion, Coastal Erosion, Glacier Erosion, Sea Erosion, Wind Erosion   

Properties

Physical Properties
  
  

Hardness
5-5.5   
3-5   

Grain Size
Fine Grained   
Very fine-grained   

Fracture
Conchoidal   
Uneven   

Streak
White   
White, Greenish White or Grey   

Porosity
Very Less Porous   
Less Porous   

Luster
Vitreous   
Waxy and Dull   

Compressive Strength
0.15 N/mm2   
33
310.00 N/mm2   
2

Cleavage
Non-Existent   
Irregular   

Toughness
Not Available   
7   

Specific Gravity
2.6-2.7   
2.79-3   

Transparency
Translucent   
Opaque   

Density
2.6 g/cm3   
2.5-3 g/cm3   

Thermal Properties
  
  

Specific Heat Capacity
0.92 kJ/Kg K   
10
0.95 kJ/Kg K   
9

Resistance
Heat Resistant, Impact Resistant   
Heat Resistant   

Reserves

Deposits in Eastern Continents
  
  

Asia
Afghanistan, Indonesia, Japan, Russia   
India, Saudi Arabia, Singapore, South Korea   

Africa
Kenya   
Ethiopia, Western Africa   

Europe
Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Italy, Turkey   
England, Georgia, Switzerland, United Kingdom   

Others
Not Yet Found   
Not Yet Found   

Deposits in Western Continents
  
  

North America
Canada, Mexico, USA   
Canada   

South America
Argentina, Chile, Ecuador, Peru   
Colombia   

Deposits in Oceania Continent
  
  

Australia
New Zealand   
Central Australia, New South Wales, New Zealand, Western Australia   

Summary >>
<< Reserves

All about Felsite and Serpentinite Properties

Know all about Felsite and Serpentinite properties here. All properties of rocks are important as they define the type of rock and its application. Felsite belongs to Igneous Rocks while Serpentinite belongs to Metamorphic Rocks.Texture of Felsite is Arborescent Patterned, Vitreous whereas that of Serpentinite is Earthy. Felsite appears Layered, Banded, Veined and Shiny and Serpentinite appears Rough and Dull. The luster of Felsite is vitreous while that of Serpentinite is waxy and dull. Felsite is available in black, blue, brown, green, orange, red, tan, yellow colors whereas Serpentinite is available in black, brown, colourless, green, grey, white colors. The commercial uses of Felsite are mirror, jewelry and that of Serpentinite are commemorative tablets, creating artwork.

Compare Igneous Rocks

Igneous Rocks

Igneous Rocks

» More Igneous Rocks

Compare Igneous Rocks

» More Compare Igneous Rocks