Definition
Novaculite is a dense, hard, fine-grained, siliceous metamorpic rock which is a type of chert that breaks with conchoidal fracture
Schist is a medium grade metamorphic rock with medium to large, flat, sheet like grains in a preferred orientation
Discoverer
Unknown
Unknown
Etymology
From Latin word novacula, for razor stone
From French schiste, Greek skhistos i.e. split
Class
Sedimentary Rocks
Metamorphic Rocks
Sub-Class
Durable Rock, Hard Rock
Durable Rock, Medium Hardness Rock
Group
Not Applicable
Not Applicable
Other Categories
Fine Grained Rock, Opaque Rock
Coarse Grained Rock, Fine Grained Rock, Medium Grained Rock, Opaque Rock
Texture
Banded, Glassy, Rough, Vitreous
Foliated, Platy
Color
Black, Brown, Green, Grey, Red, White
Black, Blue, Brown, Dark Brown, Green, Grey, Silver
Durability
Durable
Durable
Appearance
Glassy or Pearly
Layered and Shiny
Interior Uses
Countertops, Decorative Aggregates, Flooring, Interior Decoration
Decorative Aggregates, Floor Tiles, Interior Decoration
Exterior Uses
As Building Stone, Garden Decoration
Garden Decoration, Paving Stone
Other Architectural Uses
Curbing
Not Yet Used
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, Building houses or walls, Cement Manufacture, for Road Aggregate, Roadstone
Medical Industry
Not Yet Used
Not Yet Used
Antiquity Uses
Artifacts, Monuments
Artifacts
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
Used in aquariums, Writing Slates
Types
Not Available
Mica Schists, Calc-Silicate Schists, Graphite Schists, Blueschists, Whiteschists, Greenschists, Hornblende Schist, Talc Schist, Chlorite Schist, Garnet Schist, Glaucophane schist.
Features
Clasts are smooth to touch, Easily splits into thin plates, Has High structural resistance against erosion and climate
Easily splits into thin plates, Smooth to touch
Archaeological Significance
Monuments
Used
Not Yet Used
Famous Monuments
Data Not Available
Not Applicable
Sculpture
Not Yet Used
Not Yet Used
Famous Sculptures
Not Applicable
Not Applicable
Pictographs
Not Used
Used
Petroglyphs
Not Used
Used
Figurines
Not Yet Used
Not Yet 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.
Schist formed by dynamic metamorphism at high temperatures and pressures that aligns the grains of mica, hornblende and other elongated minerals into thin layers.
Mineral Content
Quartz, Silicon
Alusite, Amphibole, Biotite, Chlorite, Epidote, Feldspar, Garnet, Graphite, Hornblade, Kyanite, Micas, Muscovite or Illite, Porphyroblasts, Quartz, Sillimanite, Staurolite, Talc
Compound Content
Ca, Silicon Dioxide
CaO, Carbon Dioxide, MgO
Types of Metamorphism
Not Applicable
Not Applicable
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
Grain Size
Fine Grained
Medium to Fine Coarse Grained
Fracture
Conchoidal
Conchoidal
Porosity
Less Porous
Highly Porous
Luster
Waxy and Dull
Shiny
Compressive Strength
Not Available
Cleavage
Non-Existent
Slaty
Specific Gravity
2.5-2.7
2.5-2.9
Transparency
Translucent to Opaque
Opaque
Density
2.7 g/cm3
2.8-2.9 g/cm3
Specific Heat Capacity
Not Available
Resistance
Heat Resistant, Impact Resistant, Pressure Resistant, Wear Resistant
Impact Resistant, Pressure Resistant, Water Resistant
Deposits in Eastern Continents
Asia
China, India, Iran, Japan, Oman, Russia, Saudi Arabia, Taiwan, Thailand, Vietnam
Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, China, India, Japan, Kazakhstan, Malaysia, Pakistan, Russia, Thailand, Turkey, Vietnam
Africa
Kenya, Morocco, South Africa, Tanzania
Egypt, Ethiopia, Morocco, Nigeria, South Africa
Europe
Austria, France, Greece, Italy, Malta, Poland, Portugal, Serbia, Spain, Sweden, United Kingdom
Austria, England, France, Georgia, Germany, Italy, Liechtenstein, Monaco, Norway, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland
Others
Greenland, Mid-Atlantic Ridge
Not Yet Found
Deposits in Western Continents
North America
Canada, Mexico, USA
Canada, Costa Rica, Cuba, Mexico, Panama, USA
South America
Bolivia, Brazil
Brazil, Colombia, Guyana
Deposits in Oceania Continent
Australia
New South Wales, Queensland, South Australia, Western Australia
New South Wales, New Zealand, Queensland
All about Novaculite and Schist Properties
Know all about Novaculite and Schist properties here. All properties of rocks are important as they define the type of rock and its application. Novaculite belongs to Sedimentary Rocks while Schist belongs to Metamorphic Rocks.Texture of Novaculite is Banded, Glassy, Rough, Vitreous whereas that of Schist is Foliated, Platy. Novaculite appears Glassy or Pearly and Schist appears Layered and Shiny. The luster of Novaculite is waxy and dull while that of Schist is shiny. Novaculite is available in black, brown, green, grey, red, white colors whereas Schist is available in black, blue, brown, dark brown, green, grey, silver 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 Schist are used in aquariums, writing slates.