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Kimberlite vs Felsite


Felsite vs Kimberlite


Definition

Definition
Kimberlite is a rare, blue-tinged, coarse-grained intrusive igneous rock, which sometimes contains diamonds and is mostly found in South Africa and Siberia.  
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  

History
  
  

Origin
Kimberley, South Africa  
-  

Discoverer
John W. Judd  
Unknown  

Etymology
From Kimberley +‎ -ite, from the name of the South African town of Kimberley where the rock was first found.  
From English feldspar and -ite  

Class
Igneous Rocks  
Igneous Rocks  

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

Family
  
  

Group
Volcanic  
Volcanic  

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

Texture

Texture
Porphyritic  
Arborescent Patterned, Vitreous  

Color
Black, Bluish - Grey, Brown, Dark Greenish - Grey, Green, Grey  
Black, Blue, Brown, Green, Orange, Red, Tan, Yellow  

Maintenance
Less  
Less  

Durability
Durable  
Durable  

Water Resistant
Yes  
Yes  

Scratch Resistant
Yes  
Yes  

Stain Resistant
Yes  
No  

Wind Resistant
Yes  
Yes  

Acid Resistant
Yes  
No  

Appearance
Dull and Banded  
Layered, Banded, Veined and Shiny  

Uses

Architecture
  
  

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

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

Other Architectural Uses
Curbing  
Curbing  

Industry
  
  

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  
Arrowheads, Cutting Tool, Knives, Scrapers, Spear Points  

Medical Industry
Taken as a Supplement for Calcium or Magnesium  
Surgery  

Antiquity Uses
Artifacts, Monuments, Sculpture, Small Figurines  
Artifacts  

Other Uses
  
  

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)  
Mirror, Jewelry  

Types

Types
Basaltic Kimberlites and Micaceous Kimberlites  
Igneous rock  

Features
Always found as volcanic pipes over deep continental crust, Host rock for Diamond, Is one of the oldest rock, Surfaces are often shiny  
Available in Lots of Colors and Patterns, Clasts are smooth to touch, Splintery, Very fine grained rock  

Archaeological Significance
  
  

Monuments
-  
-  

Famous Monuments
-  
-  

Sculpture
-  
-  

Famous Sculptures
-  
-  

Pictographs
-  
-  

Petroglyphs
-  
-  

Figurines
-  
-  

Fossils
Absent  
Absent  

Formation

Formation
Kimberlite is an igneous rock and is the main source of diamonds. Its formation takes place deep beneath the Earth’s surface between 150 to 450 kilometres, and are erupted rapidly and violently.  
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.  

Composition
  
  

Mineral Content
Garnet, Olivine, Phlogopite, Pyroxene  
Feldspar, Iron Oxides  

Compound Content
Aluminium Oxide, NaCl, CaO, Iron(III) Oxide, FeO, Potassium Oxide, MgO, MnO, Sodium Oxide, Silicon Dioxide, Titanium Dioxide  
Aluminium Oxide, CaO, Iron(III) Oxide, FeO, Potassium Oxide, MgO, MnO, Sodium Oxide, Phosphorus Pentoxide, Silicon Dioxide, Titanium Dioxide  

Transformation
  
  

Metamorphism
Yes  
Yes  

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

Weathering
Yes  
Yes  

Types of Weathering
Biological Weathering, Chemical Weathering, Mechanical Weathering  
Biological Weathering, Chemical Weathering, Mechanical Weathering  

Erosion
Yes  
Yes  

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

Properties

Physical Properties
  
  

Hardness
6-7  
5-5.5  

Grain Size
Fine to Coarse Grained  
Fine Grained  

Fracture
Conchoidal  
Conchoidal  

Streak
White  
White  

Porosity
Very Less Porous  
Very Less Porous  

Luster
Subvitreous to Dull  
Vitreous  

Compressive Strength
260.00 N/mm2  
4
0.15 N/mm2  
99+

Cleavage
Conchoidal  
-  

Toughness
-  
-  

Specific Gravity
2.86-2.87  
2.6-2.7  

Transparency
Translucent to Opaque  
Translucent  

Density
2.95-2.96 g/cm3  
2.6 g/cm3  

Thermal Properties
  
  

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

Resistance
Heat Resistant, Impact Resistant  
Heat Resistant, Impact Resistant  

Reserves

Deposits in Eastern Continents
  
  

Asia
Russia  
Afghanistan, Indonesia, Japan, Russia  

Africa
Angola, Botswana, Cameroon, Ethiopia, South Africa  
Kenya  

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

Others
Antarctica  
-  

Deposits in Western Continents
  
  

North America
Canada, USA  
Canada, Mexico, USA  

South America
Argentina, Colombia, Ecuador  
Argentina, Chile, Ecuador, Peru  

Deposits in Oceania Continent
  
  

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

Definition >>
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Kimberlite vs Felsite Information

Earth’s outer layer is covered by rocks and these rocks have different physical and chemical properties. As two rocks are not same, it’s fun to compare them. You can also know more about Kimberlite and Felsite Reserves. Kimberlite is a rare, blue-tinged, coarse-grained intrusive igneous rock, which sometimes contains diamonds and is mostly found in South Africa and Siberia.. 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. These rocks are composed of many distinct minerals. The process of formation of rocks is different for various rocks. Rocks are quarried from many years for various purposes. You can check out Kimberlite vs Felsite information and Kimberlite vs Felsite characteristics in the upcoming sections.

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Kimberlite vs Felsite 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. Kimberlite vs Felsite characteristics assist us to distinguish and recognize rocks. Also you can check about Properties of Kimberlite and Properties of Felsite. Learn more about Kimberlite vs Felsite in the next section. The interior uses of Kimberlite include Countertops, Decorative aggregates, Homes and Interior decoration whereas the interior uses of Felsite include Decorative aggregates, Flooring and Interior decoration. Due to some exceptional properties of Kimberlite and Felsite, they have various applications in construction industry. The uses of Kimberlite 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 and that of Felsite include Arrowheads, Cutting tool, Knives, Scrapers, Spear points.

More about Kimberlite and Felsite

Here you can know more about Kimberlite and Felsite. The life cycle of a rock consists of formation of rock, composition of rock and transformation of rock. The composition of Kimberlite and Felsite consists of mineral content and compound content. The mineral content of Kimberlite includes Garnet, Olivine, Phlogopite, Pyroxene and mineral content of Felsite includes Feldspar, Iron Oxides. You can also check out the list of all Igneous Rocks. When we have to compare Kimberlite vs Felsite, the texture, color and appearance plays an important role in determining the type of rock. Kimberlite is available in black, bluish - grey, brown, dark greenish - grey, green, grey colors whereas, Felsite is available in black, blue, brown, green, orange, red, tan, yellow colors. Appearance of Kimberlite is Dull and Banded and that of Felsite is Layered, Banded, Veined and Shiny. Properties of rock is another aspect for Kimberlite vs Felsite. The hardness of Kimberlite is 6-7 and that of Felsite is 5-5.5. The types of Kimberlite are Basaltic Kimberlites and Micaceous Kimberlites whereas types of Felsite are Igneous rock. Streak of rock is the color of powder produced when it is dragged across an unweathered surface. The streak of Kimberlite and Felsite is white. The specific heat capacity of Kimberlite is 0.92 kJ/Kg K and that of Felsite 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.Kimberlite is heat resistant, impact resistant whereas Felsite is heat resistant, impact resistant.

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