Definition
Novaculite is a dense, hard, fine-grained, siliceous metamorpic rock which is a type of chert that breaks with conchoidal fracture
Pyrolite is an igneous rock consisting of about three parts of peridotite and one part of basalt
Origin
Unknown
Pike County, U.S
Discoverer
Unknown
Unknown
Etymology
From Latin word novacula, for razor stone
From the chemical and mineralogical composition of the upper mantle of the Earth
Class
Sedimentary Rocks
Igneous Rocks
Sub-Class
Durable Rock, Hard Rock
Durable Rock, Medium Hardness Rock
Group
Not Applicable
Plutonic
Other Categories
Fine Grained Rock, Opaque Rock
Coarse Grained Rock, Opaque Rock
Texture
Banded, Glassy, Rough, Vitreous
Phaneritic
Color
Black, Brown, Green, Grey, Red, White
Dark Greenish - Grey
Durability
Durable
Durable
Scratch Resistant
Yes
Yes
Appearance
Glassy or Pearly
Rough and Shiny
Interior Uses
Countertops, Decorative Aggregates, Flooring, Interior Decoration
Decorative Aggregates, Interior Decoration
Exterior Uses
As Building Stone, Garden Decoration
As Building Stone, As Facing Stone, Garden Decoration, Paving Stone
Other Architectural Uses
Curbing
Curbing
Construction Industry
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
As Dimension Stone, Cobblestones
Medical Industry
Not Yet Used
Not Yet Used
Antiquity Uses
Artifacts, Monuments
Artifacts, Monuments, Sculpture
Commercial Uses
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
Creating Artwork, Gemstone, Jewelry, Source of Chromite, Platinum, Nickel and Garnet, Source of Diamonds
Types
Not Available
Dunite, Wehrlite, Harzburgite, Lherzolite
Features
Clasts are smooth to touch, Easily splits into thin plates, Has High structural resistance against erosion and climate
Constitutes upper part of the Earth's mantle, Generally rough to touch, Is one of the oldest rock
Archaeological Significance
Famous Monuments
Data Not Available
Data Not Available
Sculpture
Not Yet Used
Used
Famous Sculptures
Not Applicable
Data Not Available
Pictographs
Not Used
Used
Petroglyphs
Not Used
Used
Figurines
Not Yet Used
Used
Formation
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.
Pyrolite 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.
Mineral Content
Quartz, Silicon
Amphibole, Chromite, Garnet, Magnesium, Olivine, Phlogopite, Plagioclase, Pyroxene
Compound Content
Ca, Silicon Dioxide
Ca, Fe, Mg, Potassium, Silicon Dioxide, Sodium, Titanium Dioxide
Types of Metamorphism
Not Applicable
Burial Metamorphism, Cataclastic Metamorphism, Contact Metamorphism, Hydrothermal Metamorphism, Impact Metamorphism, Regional Metamorphism
Types of Weathering
Not Applicable
Biological Weathering, Chemical Weathering, Mechanical Weathering
Types of Erosion
Chemical Erosion, Coastal Erosion, Glacier Erosion
Chemical Erosion, Coastal Erosion, Glacier Erosion, Sea Erosion, Water Erosion, Wind Erosion
Grain Size
Fine Grained
Coarse Grained
Fracture
Conchoidal
Irregular
Porosity
Less Porous
Less Porous
Luster
Waxy and Dull
Shiny
Cleavage
Non-Existent
Imperfect
Specific Gravity
2.5-2.7
3-3.01
Transparency
Translucent to Opaque
Translucent to Opaque
Density
2.7 g/cm3
3.1-3.4 g/cm3
Resistance
Heat Resistant, Impact Resistant, Pressure Resistant, Wear Resistant
Heat Resistant, Pressure Resistant, Wear Resistant
Deposits in Eastern Continents
Asia
China, India, Iran, Japan, Oman, Russia, Saudi Arabia, Taiwan, Thailand, Vietnam
China, India, Indonesia, Kazakhstan, Russia, South Korea, Thailand, Turkey
Africa
Kenya, Morocco, South Africa, Tanzania
Morocco, South Africa
Europe
Austria, France, Greece, Italy, Malta, Poland, Portugal, Serbia, Spain, Sweden, United Kingdom
Finland, France, Georgia, Germany, Great Britain, Italy, Kazakhstan, Netherlands, Norway, Spain, Switzerland, Venezuela
Others
Greenland, Mid-Atlantic Ridge
Not Yet Found
Deposits in Western Continents
North America
Canada, Mexico, USA
Canada, USA
South America
Bolivia, Brazil
Brazil
Deposits in Oceania Continent
Australia
New South Wales, Queensland, South Australia, Western Australia
New Zealand, Western Australia
All about Novaculite and Pyrolite Properties
Know all about Novaculite and Pyrolite properties here. All properties of rocks are important as they define the type of rock and its application. Novaculite belongs to Sedimentary Rocks while Pyrolite belongs to Igneous Rocks.Texture of Novaculite is Banded, Glassy, Rough, Vitreous whereas that of Pyrolite is Phaneritic. Novaculite appears Glassy or Pearly and Pyrolite appears Rough and Shiny. The luster of Novaculite is waxy and dull while that of Pyrolite is shiny. Novaculite is available in black, brown, green, grey, red, white colors whereas Pyrolite is available in dark greenish - grey colors. The commercial uses 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 and that of Pyrolite are creating artwork, gemstone, jewelry, source of chromite, platinum, nickel and garnet, source of diamonds.