Definition
Novaculite is a dense, hard, fine-grained, siliceous metamorpic rock which is a type of chert that breaks with conchoidal fracture
Flint is a hard type of sedimentary rock that produces a small piece of burning material when hit by steel
Discoverer
Unknown
Unknown
Etymology
From Latin word novacula, for razor stone
From Old English flint - a type of rock mainly known for high hardness and for giving off sparks when struck
Class
Sedimentary Rocks
Sedimentary Rocks
Sub-Class
Durable Rock, Hard Rock
Durable Rock, Hard Rock
Other Categories
Fine Grained Rock, Opaque Rock
Fine Grained Rock, Opaque Rock
Texture
Banded, Glassy, Rough, Vitreous
Banded, Rough
Color
Black, Brown, Green, Grey, Red, White
Black, Brown, Green, Grey, Red, White
Durability
Durable
Durable
Scratch Resistant
Yes
Yes
Appearance
Glassy or Pearly
Glassy or Pearly
Interior Uses
Countertops, Decorative Aggregates, Flooring, Interior Decoration
Decorative Aggregates, Homes, Interior Decoration
Exterior Uses
As Building Stone, Garden Decoration
As Building Stone, As Facing Stone, Garden Decoration, Office Buildings, 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
Arrowheads, Cutting Tool, Spear Points
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
Creating Artwork, Gemstone, In fire-starting tools, Manufacture of tools, Metallurgical Flux, Jewelry, To ignite fire, Used in flintlock firearms
Types
Sedimentary rock
Chert and Jasper
Features
Clasts are smooth to touch, Easily splits into thin plates, Has High structural resistance against erosion and climate
Clasts are smooth to touch, Easily splits into thin plates, Has High structural resistance against erosion and climate
Archaeological Significance
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.
Flint is formed by the decomposition and compaction of various organisms such as sponges and diatoms under the water.
Mineral Content
Quartz, Silicon
Silicon
Compound Content
Ca, Silicon Dioxide
Silicon Dioxide
Types of Metamorphism
-
-
Types of Erosion
Chemical Erosion, Coastal Erosion, Glacier Erosion
Chemical Erosion, Coastal Erosion, Water Erosion
Grain Size
Fine Grained
Very fine-grained
Fracture
Conchoidal
Conchoidal
Porosity
Less Porous
Highly Porous
Luster
Waxy and Dull
Vitreous
Specific Gravity
2.5-2.7
2.5-2.8
Transparency
Translucent to Opaque
Translucent to Opaque
Density
2.7 g/cm3
2.7-2.71 g/cm3
Resistance
Heat Resistant, Impact Resistant, Pressure Resistant, Wear Resistant
Heat Resistant, Impact Resistant, Pressure Resistant, Wear Resistant
Deposits in Eastern Continents
Asia
China, India, Iran, Japan, Oman, Russia, Saudi Arabia, Taiwan, Thailand, Vietnam
Azerbaijan, China, Russia
Africa
Kenya, Morocco, South Africa, Tanzania
-
Europe
Austria, France, Greece, Italy, Malta, Poland, Portugal, Serbia, Spain, Sweden, United Kingdom
Austria, Belgium, Cyprus, Denmark, France, Germany, Italy, Malta, Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Turkey, Ukraine, United Kingdom
Others
Greenland, Mid-Atlantic Ridge
-
Deposits in Western Continents
North America
Canada, Mexico, USA
USA
South America
Bolivia, Brazil
Bolivia
Deposits in Oceania Continent
Australia
New South Wales, Queensland, South Australia, Western Australia
New Zealand, South Australia
Novaculite vs Flint 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. Novaculite vs Flint characteristics assist us to distinguish and recognize rocks. Also you can check about Properties of Novaculite and Properties of Flint. Learn more about Novaculite vs Flint in the next section. The interior uses of Novaculite include Countertops, Decorative aggregates, Flooring and Interior decoration whereas the interior uses of Flint include Decorative aggregates, Homes and Interior decoration. Due to some exceptional properties of Novaculite and Flint, they have various applications in construction industry. The uses of Novaculite in construction industry include 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 and that of Flint include Arrowheads, Cutting tool, Spear points.
More about Novaculite and Flint
Here you can know more about Novaculite and Flint. The life cycle of a rock consists of formation of rock, composition of rock and transformation of rock. The composition of Novaculite and Flint consists of mineral content and compound content. The mineral content of Novaculite includes Quartz, Silicon and mineral content of Flint includes Silicon. You can also check out the list of all Sedimentary Rocks. When we have to compare Novaculite vs Flint, the texture, color and appearance plays an important role in determining the type of rock. Novaculite is available in black, brown, green, grey, red, white colors whereas, Flint is available in black, brown, green, grey, red, white colors. Appearance of Novaculite is Glassy or Pearly and that of Flint is Glassy or Pearly. Properties of rock is another aspect for Novaculite vs Flint. Hardness of Novaculite and Flint is 7. The types of Novaculite are Sedimentary rock whereas types of Flint are Chert and Jasper. Streak of rock is the color of powder produced when it is dragged across an unweathered surface. The streak of Novaculite is while that of Flint is white. The specific heat capacity of Novaculite is 0.74 kJ/Kg K and that of Flint is 0.74 kJ/Kg K. Depending on the properties like hardness, toughness, specific heat capacity, porosity etc., rocks are resistant to heat, wear, impact, etc.Novaculite is heat resistant, impact resistant, pressure resistant, wear resistant whereas Flint is heat resistant, impact resistant, pressure resistant, wear resistant.