Definition
Jasperoid is a rare, peculiar type of metasomatic alteration of rocks
Obsidian is a naturally occurring volcanic glass formed as an extrusive igneous rock. It is produced when felsic lava extruded from a volcano cools rapidly with minimum crystal growth
Discoverer
Unknown
Obsius
Etymology
From silica, the main mineral content of Jasperoid
From Latin obsidianus, misprint of Obsianus (lapis) (stone) of Obsius
Class
Sedimentary Rocks
Igneous Rocks
Sub-Class
Durable Rock, Medium Hardness Rock
Durable Rock, Medium Hardness Rock
Other Categories
Coarse Grained Rock, Fine Grained Rock, Medium Grained Rock, Opaque Rock
Opaque Rock
Color
Black, Brown, Green, Grey, Pink, White
Black, Blue, Brown, Green, Orange, Red, Tan, Yellow
Durability
Durable
Durable
Scratch Resistant
Yes
Yes
Appearance
Glassy or Pearly
Shiny
Interior Uses
Decorative Aggregates, Floor Tiles, Homes, Interior Decoration
Decorative Aggregates, Interior Decoration
Exterior Uses
As Building Stone, Garden Decoration, Office Buildings, Paving Stone
Garden Decoration
Other Architectural Uses
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
Arrowheads, Cutting Tool, Knives, Scrapers, Spear Points
Medical Industry
Taken as a Supplement for Calcium or Magnesium
Surgery
Antiquity Uses
Artifacts, Jewellery, Monuments, Sculpture
Artifacts, Jewellery
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, Mirror, Used in aquariums
Types
-
Fireworks Obsidian, Mahogany, Sheen Obsidian, Snowflake obsidian and Velvet Peacock Obsidian
Features
Host Rock for Lead, Traps for subsurface fluids like Oil and Natural Gas., Zinc and Copper Deposits
Blocks negativity, Helps to protect against depression
Archaeological Significance
Formation
Jasperoid is a rare and peculiar type of metasomatic alteration of rocks. It is formed by extreme alteration of wall rocks within a shear zone which may occur in sediments, andesites, trachytes and basalts.
When the lava is released from volcano, it undergoes a very rapid cooling which freezes the mechanisms of crystallization. The result is a volcanic glass with a uniform smooth texture.
Mineral Content
Clay Minerals, Pyrite, Quartz, Sulfides
-
Compound Content
NaCl, CaO, Carbon Dioxide, Magnesium Carbonate, MgO
Aluminium Oxide, CaO, Iron(III) Oxide, FeO, Potassium Oxide, MgO, MnO, Sodium Oxide, Phosphorus Pentoxide, Silicon Dioxide, Titanium Dioxide
Types of Metamorphism
Burial Metamorphism, Cataclastic Metamorphism, Regional Metamorphism
Burial Metamorphism, Cataclastic Metamorphism, Contact Metamorphism
Types of Weathering
-
Biological Weathering, Chemical Weathering, Mechanical Weathering
Types of Erosion
-
Chemical Erosion, Coastal Erosion, Glacier Erosion
Grain Size
Medium to Fine Coarse Grained
-
Fracture
Conchoidal
Conchoidal
Porosity
Less Porous
Very Less Porous
Luster
Vitreous and Pearly
Vitreous
Specific Gravity
2.8-3
2.6-2.7
Transparency
Transparent to Translucent
Translucent
Density
2.8-2.9 g/cm3
2.6 g/cm3
Resistance
Heat Resistant, Pressure Resistant, Wear Resistant
Heat Resistant, Impact Resistant
Deposits in Eastern Continents
Asia
China, India
Afghanistan, Indonesia, Japan, Russia
Africa
Morocco, Namibia
Kenya
Europe
Austria, Italy, Romania, Spain, Switzerland
Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Italy, Turkey
Deposits in Western Continents
North America
Mexico, USA
Canada, Mexico, USA
South America
Brazil, Colombia
Argentina, Chile, Ecuador, Peru
Deposits in Oceania Continent
Australia
New South Wales, Queensland, Yorke Peninsula
New Zealand
Jasperoid vs Obsidian Characteristics
Though some rocks look identical, they have certain characteristics which distinguish them from others. Characteristics of rocks include texture, appearance, color, fracture, streak, hardness etc. Jasperoid vs Obsidian characteristics assist us to distinguish and recognize rocks. Also you can check about Properties of Jasperoid and Properties of Obsidian. Learn more about Jasperoid vs Obsidian in the next section. The interior uses of Jasperoid include Decorative aggregates, Floor tiles, Homes and Interior decoration whereas the interior uses of Obsidian include Decorative aggregates and Interior decoration. Due to some exceptional properties of Jasperoid and Obsidian, they have various applications in construction industry. The uses of Jasperoid in construction industry include 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 and that of Obsidian include Arrowheads, Cutting tool, Knives, Scrapers, Spear points.
More about Jasperoid and Obsidian
Here you can know more about Jasperoid and Obsidian. The life cycle of a rock consists of formation of rock, composition of rock and transformation of rock. The composition of Jasperoid and Obsidian consists of mineral content and compound content. The mineral content of Jasperoid includes Clay Minerals, Pyrite, Quartz, Sulfides and mineral content of Obsidian includes . You can also check out the list of all Sedimentary Rocks. When we have to compare Jasperoid vs Obsidian, the texture, color and appearance plays an important role in determining the type of rock. Jasperoid is available in black, brown, green, grey, pink, white colors whereas, Obsidian is available in black, blue, brown, green, orange, red, tan, yellow colors. Appearance of Jasperoid is Glassy or Pearly and that of Obsidian is Shiny. Properties of rock is another aspect for Jasperoid vs Obsidian. The hardness of Jasperoid is 3.5-4 and that of Obsidian is 5-5.5. The types of Jasperoid are - whereas types of Obsidian are Fireworks Obsidian, Mahogany, Sheen Obsidian, Snowflake obsidian and Velvet Peacock Obsidian. Streak of rock is the color of powder produced when it is dragged across an unweathered surface. The streak of Jasperoid and Obsidian is white. The specific heat capacity of Jasperoid is 0.92 kJ/Kg K and that of Obsidian is 0.92 kJ/Kg K. Depending on the properties like hardness, toughness, specific heat capacity, porosity etc., rocks are resistant to heat, wear, impact, etc.Jasperoid is heat resistant, pressure resistant, wear resistant whereas Obsidian is heat resistant, impact resistant.