Novaculite

Obsidian

Novaculite vs Obsidian

Novaculite

Obsidian

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1 Definition

1.1 Definition

Novaculite is a dense, hard, fine-grained, siliceous metamorpic rock which is a type of chert that breaks with conchoidal fracture

Obsidian is a naturally occurring volcanic glass formed as an extrusive igneous rock. It is produced when felsic lava extruded from a volcano cools rapidly with minimum crystal growth

1.2 History

1.2.1 Origin

Unknown

Ethiopia

1.2.2 Discoverer

Unknown

Obsius

1.3 Etymology

From Latin word novacula, for razor stone

From Latin obsidianus, misprint of Obsianus (lapis) (stone) of Obsius

1.4 Class

Sedimentary Rocks

Igneous Rocks

1.4.1 Sub-Class

Durable Rock, Hard Rock

Durable Rock, Medium Hardness Rock

1.5 Family

1.5.1 Group

Not Applicable

Volcanic

1.6 Other Categories

Fine Grained Rock, Opaque Rock

Opaque Rock

2 Texture

2.1 Texture

Banded, Glassy, Rough, Vitreous

Glassy

2.2 Color

Black, Brown, Green, Grey, Red, White

Black, Blue, Brown, Green, Orange, Red, Tan, Yellow

2.3 Maintenance

Less

2.4 Durability

Durable

2.4.1 Water Resistant

✔ ✘

2.4.2 Scratch Resistant

✔ ✘

2.4.3 Stain Resistant

✔ ✘

2.4.4 Wind Resistant

✔ ✘

2.4.5 Acid Resistant

✔ ✘

2.5 Appearance

Glassy or Pearly

Shiny

3 Uses

3.1 Architecture

3.1.1 Interior Uses

Countertops, Decorative Aggregates, Flooring, Interior Decoration

Decorative Aggregates, Interior Decoration

3.1.2 Exterior Uses

As Building Stone, Garden Decoration

Garden Decoration

3.1.3 Other Architectural Uses

Curbing

Not Yet Used

3.2 Industry

3.2.1 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, Knives, Scrapers, Spear Points

3.2.2 Medical Industry

Not Yet Used

Surgery

3.3 Antiquity Uses

Artifacts, Monuments

Artifacts, Jewellery

3.4 Other Uses

3.4.1 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, Mirror, Used in aquariums

4 Types

4.1 Types

Not Available

Fireworks Obsidian, Mahogany, Sheen Obsidian, Snowflake obsidian and Velvet Peacock Obsidian

4.2 Features

Clasts are smooth to touch, Easily splits into thin plates, Has High structural resistance against erosion and climate

Blocks negativity, Helps to protect against depression

4.3 Archaeological Significance

4.3.1 Monuments

Used

Not Yet Used

4.3.2 Famous Monuments

Data Not Available

Not Applicable

4.3.3 Sculpture

Not Yet Used

4.3.4 Famous Sculptures

Not Applicable

4.3.5 Pictographs

Not Used

Used

4.3.6 Petroglyphs

Not Used

Used

4.3.7 Figurines

Not Yet Used

4.4 Fossils

Present

Absent

5 Formation

5.1 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.

When the lava is released from volcano, it undergoes a very rapid cooling which freezes the mechanisms of crystallization. The result is a volcanic glass with a uniform smooth texture.

5.2 Composition

5.2.1 Mineral Content

Quartz, Silicon

Not Available

5.2.2 Compound Content

Ca, Silicon Dioxide

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

5.3 Transformation

5.3.1 Metamorphism

✔ ✘

5.3.2 Types of Metamorphism

Not Applicable

Burial Metamorphism, Cataclastic Metamorphism, Contact Metamorphism

5.3.3 Weathering

✔ ✘

5.3.4 Types of Weathering

Not Applicable

Biological Weathering, Chemical Weathering, Mechanical Weathering

5.3.5 Erosion

✔ ✘

5.3.6 Types of Erosion

Chemical Erosion, Coastal Erosion, Glacier Erosion

6 Properties

6.1 Physical Properties

6.1.1 Hardness

75-5.5

1 7

6.1.2 Grain Size

Fine Grained

Not Applicable

6.1.3 Fracture

Conchoidal

6.1.4 Streak

Colorless

White

6.1.5 Porosity

Less Porous

Very Less Porous

6.1.6 Luster

Waxy and Dull

Vitreous

6.1.7 Compressive Strength

450.00 N/mm²0.15 N/mm²

0.15 450

6.1.8 Cleavage

Non-Existent

6.1.9 Toughness

1.5

Not Available

6.1.10 Specific Gravity

2.5-2.72.6-2.7

0 8.4

6.1.11 Transparency

Translucent to Opaque

Translucent

6.1.12 Density

2.7 g/cm³2.6 g/cm³

0 1400

6.2 Thermal Properties

6.2.1 Specific Heat Capacity

0.74 kJ/Kg K0.92 kJ/Kg K

0.14 3.2

6.2.2 Resistance

Heat Resistant, Impact Resistant, Pressure Resistant, Wear Resistant

Heat Resistant, Impact Resistant

7 Reserves

7.1 Deposits in Eastern Continents

7.1.1 Asia

China, India, Iran, Japan, Oman, Russia, Saudi Arabia, Taiwan, Thailand, Vietnam

Afghanistan, Indonesia, Japan, Russia

7.1.2 Africa

Kenya, Morocco, South Africa, Tanzania

Kenya

7.1.3 Europe

Austria, France, Greece, Italy, Malta, Poland, Portugal, Serbia, Spain, Sweden, United Kingdom

Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Italy, Turkey

7.1.4 Others

Greenland, Mid-Atlantic Ridge

Not Yet Found

7.2 Deposits in Western Continents

7.2.1 North America

Canada, Mexico, USA

7.2.2 South America

Bolivia, Brazil

Argentina, Chile, Ecuador, Peru

7.3 Deposits in Oceania Continent

7.3.1 Australia

New South Wales, Queensland, South Australia, Western Australia

New Zealand

Novaculite vs Obsidian 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 Novaculite and Obsidian Reserves. Novaculite is a dense, hard, fine-grained, siliceous metamorpic rock which is a type of chert that breaks with conchoidal fracture. Obsidian is a naturally occurring volcanic glass formed as an extrusive igneous rock. It is produced when felsic lava extruded from a volcano cools rapidly with minimum crystal growth. 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 Novaculite vs Obsidian information and Novaculite vs Obsidian characteristics in the upcoming sections.

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Novaculite vs Obsidian 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 Obsidian characteristics assist us to distinguish and recognize rocks. Also you can check about Properties of Novaculite and Properties of Obsidian. Learn more about Novaculite vs Obsidian in the next section. The interior uses of Novaculite include Countertops, Decorative aggregates, Flooring and Interior decoration whereas the interior uses of Obsidian include Decorative aggregates and Interior decoration. Due to some exceptional properties of Novaculite and Obsidian, 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 Obsidian include Arrowheads, Cutting tool, Knives, Scrapers, Spear points.

More about Novaculite and Obsidian

Here you can know more about Novaculite and Obsidian. The life cycle of a rock consists of formation of rock, composition of rock and transformation of rock. The composition of Novaculite and Obsidian consists of mineral content and compound content. The mineral content of Novaculite includes Quartz, Silicon and mineral content of Obsidian is not available. You can also check out the list of all Sedimentary Rocks. When we have to compare Novaculite vs Obsidian, 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, Obsidian is available in black, blue, brown, green, orange, red, tan, yellow colors. Appearance of Novaculite is Glassy or Pearly and that of Obsidian is Shiny. Properties of rock is another aspect for Novaculite vs Obsidian. The hardness of Novaculite is 7 and that of Obsidian is 5-5.5. The types of Novaculite are Not Available whereas types of Obsidian are Fireworks Obsidian, Mahogany, Sheen Obsidian, Snowflake obsidian and Velvet Peacock Obsidian. Streak of rock is the color of powder produced when it is dragged across an unweathered surface. The streak of Novaculite is colorless while that of Obsidian is white. The specific heat capacity of Novaculite is 0.74 kJ/Kg K and that of Obsidian 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.Novaculite is heat resistant, impact resistant, pressure resistant, wear resistant whereas Obsidian is heat resistant, impact resistant.