×

Marble
Marble

Soapstone
Soapstone



ADD
Compare
X
Marble
X
Soapstone

Marble vs Soapstone

Add ⊕

Definition

Definition

Marble is a non-foliated metamorphic rock which is composed of recrystallized carbonate which is formed when limestone is exposed to high temperatures and pressures over a long time
It is a metamorphic magnesium rich rock because it is composed of the mineral talc

History

Origin

Egypt
USA

Discoverer

Unknown
Unknown

Etymology

From the Greek marmaros, shining stone and also from the English word marmoreal meaning marble-like
From 17th century, because of its greasy feel and use like a soap

Class

Metamorphic Rocks
Metamorphic Rocks

Sub-Class

Durable Rock, Medium Hardness Rock
Durable Rock, Soft Rock

Family

Group

-
-

Other Categories

Medium Grained Rock, Opaque Rock
Fine Grained Rock, Opaque Rock

Texture

Texture

Granular
Polished

Color

Black, Blue, Brown, Grey, Pink, White
Black, Black to Grey, Green, Grey

Maintenance

More
Less

Durability

Durable
Durable

Water Resistant

Scratch Resistant

Stain Resistant

Wind Resistant

Acid Resistant

Appearance

Veined and Shiny
Dull, Banded and Foilated

Uses

Architecture

Interior Uses

Bathrooms, Countertops, Decorative Aggregates, Entryways, Floor Tiles, Homes, Hotels, Interior Decoration, Kitchens, Stair Treads
Bathrooms, Decorative Aggregates, Homes, Interior Decoration

Exterior Uses

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

Other Architectural Uses

-
Curbing

Industry

Construction Industry

As Dimension Stone
Manufacture of Magnesium and Dolomite Refractories

Medical Industry

-
Taken as a Supplement for Calcium or Magnesium

Antiquity Uses

Artifacts, Jewellery, Monuments, Sculpture, Small Figurines
Artifacts, Jewellery, Monuments, Sculpture

Other Uses

Commercial Uses

Cemetery Markers, Commemorative Tablets, Creating Artwork, Curling, Laboratory bench tops, Paper Industry, Tombstones, Used in aquariums, Whiting material in toothpaste, paint and paper
Cemetery Markers, Creating Artwork, Gemstone, Jewelry, Manufacture of Soap, Solvents, Dyes, Plastics and Fibres, Production of Lime, Source of Magnesia (MgO)

Types

Types

Breccia Marble, Carrara Marble, Calacatta marble, Cultured Marble, Polished Marble, Honed Marble, Sand Marble
Metamorphic rock

Features

Available in Lots of Colors and Patterns, Easily splits into thin plates, Generally rough to touch, Is one of the oldest rock
Host Rock for Lead

Archaeological Significance

Monuments

-
-

Famous Monuments

Al Aqsa Mosque in Jerusalem, Buland Darwaza in Agra, India, Capitol Hill Building, Washington DC, Charminar in Hyderabad, India, Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus in Maharashtra, India, Ephesus in Turkey, Faisal Mosque in Islamabad, Pakistan, Humayun's Tomb in Delhi, India, Jama Masjid in Delhi, India, Lotus Temple in New Delhi, India, Louvre in Paris, France, Mysore Palace in Karnataka, India, Neuschwanstein in Bavaria, Palace of Parliament in Bucharest, Romania, Parthenon in Greece, Potala Palace in Lahasa, Tibet, Prophet’s Mosque in Medina, Qutb Minar in India, Saint Basil's Cathedral in Moscow, Russia, St. Peter’s Cathedral in Vatican City, Taj Mahal in Agra, India, Tower of Pisa, Italy, Victoria Memorial in Kolkata, India, Washington Monument, US
Christ the Redeemer in Rio de Janeiro, Stonehenge in English county of Wiltshire

Sculpture

-
-

Famous Sculptures

Ajanta Caves in Maharashtra, India, Bust of Artemis, Elephanta Caves in Maharashtra, India, Lincoln Memorial in America
-

Pictographs

-
-

Petroglyphs

-
-

Figurines

-
-

Fossils

Absent
Absent

Formation

Formation

Marble is a metamorphic rock produced from limestone in the earth crust. It is formed by the metamorphism of limestone.
Soapstone is a talc-schist, which is a type of metamorphic rock and it is largely composed of the mineral talc and is thus rich inmagnesium.

Composition

Mineral Content

Garnet, Graphite, Olivine, Pyrite, Quartz
Albite, Apatite, Biotite, Calcite, Carbonate, Clay Minerals, Hornblende, Ilmenite, Micas, Plagioclase, Pyroxene, Quartz

Compound Content

CaO, Iron(III) Oxide, FeO, MgO, Silicon Dioxide
CaO, Mg, MgO

Transformation

Metamorphism

Types of Metamorphism

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

Weathering

Types of Weathering

Biological Weathering, Chemical Weathering, Mechanical Weathering
-

Erosion

Types of Erosion

Chemical Erosion, Coastal Erosion
-

Properties

Physical Properties

Hardness

3-41
1 7
👆🏻

Grain Size

Medium Grained
Fine Grained

Fracture

-
Conchoidal

Streak

White
Black

Porosity

Less Porous
Less Porous

Luster

Dull to Pearly to Subvitreous
Greasy

Compressive Strength

115.00 N/mm2225.00 N/mm2
0.15 450
👆🏻

Cleavage

Perfect
Perfect

Toughness

-
1

Specific Gravity

2.86-2.872.86
0 8.4
👆🏻

Transparency

Opaque
Opaque

Density

2.4-2.7 g/cm32.8-2.9 g/cm3
0 1400
👆🏻

Thermal Properties

Specific Heat Capacity

0.88 kJ/Kg K0.88 kJ/Kg K
0.14 3.2
👆🏻

Resistance

Heat Resistant
Heat Resistant, Pressure Resistant

Reserves

Deposits in Eastern Continents

Asia

China, India
China, India, Indonesia, Japan, North Korea, Russia, Saudi Arabia, Singapore, South Korea, Sri Lanka, Tajikistan, Thailand

Africa

Namibia
Egypt, Ethiopia, Ghana, South Africa, Western Africa

Europe

Italy, Spain
Austria, England, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, United Kingdom

Others

-
-

Deposits in Western Continents

North America

-
Canada, USA

South America

-
Colombia

Deposits in Oceania Continent

Australia

New South Wales, New Zealand, Queensland, Victoria
Central Australia, New Zealand, Queensland

Marble vs Soapstone 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 Marble and Soapstone Reserves. Marble is a non-foliated metamorphic rock which is composed of recrystallized carbonate which is formed when limestone is exposed to high temperatures and pressures over a long time. It is a metamorphic magnesium rich rock because it is composed of the mineral talc. 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 Marble vs Soapstone information and Marble vs Soapstone characteristics in the upcoming sections.

Marble vs Soapstone 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. Marble vs Soapstone characteristics assist us to distinguish and recognize rocks. Also you can check about Properties of Marble and Properties of Soapstone. Learn more about Marble vs Soapstone in the next section. The interior uses of Marble include Bathrooms, Countertops, Decorative aggregates, Entryways, Floor tiles, Homes, Hotels, Interior decoration, Kitchens and Stair treads whereas the interior uses of Soapstone include Bathrooms, Decorative aggregates, Homes and Interior decoration. Due to some exceptional properties of Marble and Soapstone, they have various applications in construction industry. The uses of Marble in construction industry include As dimension stone and that of Soapstone include Manufacture of magnesium and dolomite refractories.

More about Marble and Soapstone

Here you can know more about Marble and Soapstone. The life cycle of a rock consists of formation of rock, composition of rock and transformation of rock. The composition of Marble and Soapstone consists of mineral content and compound content. The mineral content of Marble includes Garnet, Graphite, Olivine, Pyrite, Quartz and mineral content of Soapstone includes Albite, Apatite, Biotite, Calcite, Carbonate, Clay Minerals, Hornblende, Ilmenite, Micas, Plagioclase, Pyroxene, Quartz. You can also check out the list of all Metamorphic Rocks. When we have to compare Marble vs Soapstone, the texture, color and appearance plays an important role in determining the type of rock. Marble is available in black, blue, brown, grey, pink, white colors whereas, Soapstone is available in black, black to grey, green, grey colors. Appearance of Marble is Veined and Shiny and that of Soapstone is Dull, Banded and Foilated. Properties of rock is another aspect for Marble vs Soapstone. The hardness of Marble is 3-4 and that of Soapstone is 1. The types of Marble are Breccia Marble, Carrara Marble, Calacatta marble, Cultured Marble, Polished Marble, Honed Marble, Sand Marble whereas types of Soapstone are Metamorphic rock. Streak of rock is the color of powder produced when it is dragged across an unweathered surface. The streak of Marble is white while that of Soapstone is black. The specific heat capacity of Marble is 0.88 kJ/Kg K and that of Soapstone is 0.88 kJ/Kg K. Depending on the properties like hardness, toughness, specific heat capacity, porosity etc., rocks are resistant to heat, wear, impact, etc.Marble is heat resistant whereas Soapstone is heat resistant, pressure resistant.