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Gossan and Novaculite


Novaculite and Gossan


Definition

Definition
Gossan is intensely oxidized, weathered or decomposed rock, usually the upper and exposed part of an ore deposit or mineral vein.   
Novaculite is a dense, hard, fine-grained, siliceous metamorpic rock which is a type of chert that breaks with conchoidal fracture   

History
  
  

Origin
Indonesia   
Unknown   

Discoverer
Cornish Gossen   
Unknown   

Etymology
From Cornish gossen from gos, blood from Old Cornish guit   
From Latin word novacula, for razor stone   

Class
Metamorphic Rocks   
Sedimentary Rocks   

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

Family
  
  

Group
Not Applicable   
Not Applicable   

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

Texture

Texture
Rough, Sandy   
Banded, Glassy, Rough, Vitreous   

Color
Brown, Brown- Black, Gold, Green, Rust   
Black, Brown, Green, Grey, Red, White   

Maintenance
Less   
Less   

Durability
Durable   
Durable   

Water Resistant
Yes   
Yes   

Scratch Resistant
Yes   
Yes   

Stain Resistant
Yes   
Yes   

Wind Resistant
No   
Yes   

Acid Resistant
No   
Yes   

Appearance
Dull and Banded   
Glassy or Pearly   

Uses

Architecture
  
  

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

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

Other Architectural Uses
Curbing   
Curbing   

Industry
  
  

Construction Industry
As Dimension Stone, Cement Manufacture, Construction Aggregate, for Road Aggregate   
Arrowheads, Building houses or walls, Cement Manufacture, Construction Aggregate, Cutting Tool, for Road Aggregate, Knives, Landscaping, Making natural cement, Production of Glass and Ceramics, Rail Track Ballast, Roadstone, Spear Points, Used to sharpen metal tools and weapons   

Medical Industry
Not Yet Used   
Not Yet Used   

Antiquity Uses
Artifacts   
Artifacts, Monuments   

Other Uses
  
  

Commercial Uses
Cemetery Markers, Commemorative Tablets, Gemstone   
Cemetery Markers, Gemstone, In aquifers, In fire-starting tools, Jewelry, Manufacture of tools, Pebbles are used in ball mills to grind in ceramics industry, To determine the gold content of jewelry   

Types

Types
Translocated gossan and Leakage gossan   
Not Available   

Features
Clasts are smooth to touch, Easily splits into thin plates   
Clasts are smooth to touch, Easily splits into thin plates, Has High structural resistance against erosion and climate   

Archaeological Significance
  
  

Monuments
Not Yet Used   
Used   

Famous Monuments
Not Applicable   
Data Not Available   

Sculpture
Not Yet Used   
Not Yet Used   

Famous Sculptures
Not Applicable   
Not Applicable   

Pictographs
Used   
Not Used   

Petroglyphs
Used   
Not Used   

Figurines
Not Yet Used   
Not Yet Used   

Fossils
Absent   
Present   

Formation

Formation
Earth movements can cause rocks to be either deeply buried or squeezed and hence the rocks are heated and put under great pressure.   
Novaculite forms when microcrystals of silicon dioxide grow within soft sediments that become limestone or chalk. The formation of Novaculite can be either of chemical or biological origin.   

Composition
  
  

Mineral Content
Apatite, Augite, Biotite, Bronzite, Calcite, Chert, Epidote, Feldspar, Hornblende, Micas, Plagioclase, Pyroxene, Quartz, Sulfides, Zircon   
Quartz, Silicon   

Compound Content
Aluminium Oxide, CaO, Fe, FeO, Silicon Dioxide, Sulphur   
Ca, Silicon Dioxide   

Transformation
  
  

Metamorphism
No   
No   

Types of Metamorphism
Not Applicable   
Not Applicable   

Weathering
No   
No   

Types of Weathering
Not Applicable   
Not Applicable   

Erosion
Yes   
Yes   

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

Properties

Physical Properties
  
  

Hardness
4-5   
7   

Grain Size
Fine to Medium Grained   
Fine Grained   

Fracture
Conchoidal   
Conchoidal   

Streak
White to Grey   
Colorless   

Porosity
Highly Porous   
Less Porous   

Luster
Metallic   
Waxy and Dull   

Compressive Strength
Not Available   
450.00 N/mm2   
1

Cleavage
Not Available   
Non-Existent   

Toughness
Not Available   
1.5   

Specific Gravity
2.0   
2.5-2.7   

Transparency
Opaque   
Translucent to Opaque   

Density
Not Available   
2.7 g/cm3   

Thermal Properties
  
  

Specific Heat Capacity
0.24 kJ/Kg K   
24
0.74 kJ/Kg K   
19

Resistance
Heat Resistant, Impact Resistant, Pressure Resistant   
Heat Resistant, Impact Resistant, Pressure Resistant, Wear Resistant   

Reserves

Deposits in Eastern Continents
  
  

Asia
China, India, Indonesia, Russia, Singapore, South Korea   
China, India, Iran, Japan, Oman, Russia, Saudi Arabia, Taiwan, Thailand, Vietnam   

Africa
Cape Verde, Ethiopia, Ghana, South Africa, Western Africa   
Kenya, Morocco, South Africa, Tanzania   

Europe
Albania, France, Germany, Great Britain, United Kingdom   
Austria, France, Greece, Italy, Malta, Poland, Portugal, Serbia, Spain, Sweden, United Kingdom   

Others
Not Yet Found   
Greenland, Mid-Atlantic Ridge   

Deposits in Western Continents
  
  

North America
Canada, USA   
Canada, Mexico, USA   

South America
Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador   
Bolivia, Brazil   

Deposits in Oceania Continent
  
  

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

Summary >>
<< Reserves

All about Gossan and Novaculite Properties

Know all about Gossan and Novaculite properties here. All properties of rocks are important as they define the type of rock and its application. Gossan belongs to Metamorphic Rocks while Novaculite belongs to Sedimentary Rocks.Texture of Gossan is Rough, Sandy whereas that of Novaculite is Banded, Glassy, Rough, Vitreous. Gossan appears Dull and Banded and Novaculite appears Glassy or Pearly. The luster of Gossan is metallic while that of Novaculite is waxy and dull. Gossan is available in brown, brown- black, gold, green, rust colors whereas Novaculite is available in black, brown, green, grey, red, white colors. The commercial uses of Gossan are cemetery markers, commemorative tablets, gemstone and that of Novaculite are cemetery markers, gemstone, in aquifers, in fire-starting tools, jewelry, manufacture of tools, pebbles are used in ball mills to grind in ceramics industry, to determine the gold content of jewelry.

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