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Novaculite
Novaculite

Variolite
Variolite



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Novaculite
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Variolite

Novaculite vs Variolite

Definition

Definition

Novaculite is a dense, hard, fine-grained, siliceous metamorpic rock which is a type of chert that breaks with conchoidal fracture
Variolites are a group of dark green basic igneous rocks which exhibit pale colored spots, or spherules, especially on weathered surfaces, that give them a pockmarked appearance

History

Origin

-
France

Discoverer

Unknown
Unknown

Etymology

From Latin word novacula, for razor stone
From Latin varius, speckled, variegated

Class

Sedimentary Rocks
Igneous Rocks

Sub-Class

Durable Rock, Hard Rock
Durable Rock, Hard Rock

Family

Group

-
Volcanic

Other Categories

Fine Grained Rock, Opaque Rock
Opaque Rock

Texture

Texture

Banded, Glassy, Rough, Vitreous
Glassy, Massive, Porphyritic, Scoriaceous, Vesicular

Color

Black, Brown, Green, Grey, Red, White
Black, Brown, Light to Dark Grey

Maintenance

Less
Less

Durability

Durable
Durable

Water Resistant

Scratch Resistant

Stain Resistant

Wind Resistant

Acid Resistant

Appearance

Glassy or Pearly
Dull and Soft

Uses

Architecture

Interior Uses

Countertops, Decorative Aggregates, Flooring, Interior Decoration
Floor Tiles, Flooring, Homes, Hotels, Kitchens

Exterior Uses

As Building Stone, Garden Decoration
Garden Decoration, Office Buildings

Other Architectural Uses

Curbing
Curbing

Industry

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, Rail Track Ballast, Roadstone

Medical Industry

-
-

Antiquity Uses

Artifacts, Monuments
Artifacts, Monuments, Sculpture

Other Uses

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
Cemetery Markers, Creating Artwork

Types

Types

Sedimentary rock
Metamorphic rock

Features

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

Archaeological Significance

Monuments

-
-

Famous Monuments

-
-

Sculpture

-
-

Famous Sculptures

-
-

Pictographs

-
-

Petroglyphs

-
-

Figurines

-
-

Fossils

Present
Absent

Formation

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.
Variolites are a group of dark green basic igneous rocks that exhibit pale colored spots on weathered surfaces that give them a pockmarked appearance.

Composition

Mineral Content

Quartz, Silicon
Olivine, Plagioclase, Pyroxene

Compound Content

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

Transformation

Metamorphism

Types of 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, Glacier Erosion
-

Properties

Physical Properties

Hardness

76
1 7
👆🏻

Grain Size

Fine Grained
-

Fracture

Conchoidal
Conchoidal

Streak

-
White to Grey

Porosity

Less Porous
Less Porous

Luster

Waxy and Dull
-

Compressive Strength

450.00 N/mm237.50 N/mm2
0.15 450
👆🏻

Cleavage

-
-

Toughness

1.5
2.3

Specific Gravity

2.5-2.72.8-3
0 8.4
👆🏻

Transparency

Translucent to Opaque
Opaque

Density

2.7 g/cm32.9-3.1 g/cm3
0 1400
👆🏻

Thermal Properties

Specific Heat Capacity

0.74 kJ/Kg K0.84 kJ/Kg K
0.14 3.2
👆🏻

Resistance

Heat Resistant, Impact Resistant, Pressure Resistant, Wear Resistant
Heat Resistant, Pressure Resistant, Wear Resistant

Reserves

Deposits in Eastern Continents

Asia

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

Africa

Kenya, Morocco, South Africa, Tanzania
South Africa

Europe

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

Others

Greenland, Mid-Atlantic Ridge
-

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
-

Novaculite vs Variolite 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 Variolite Reserves. Novaculite is a dense, hard, fine-grained, siliceous metamorpic rock which is a type of chert that breaks with conchoidal fracture. Variolites are a group of dark green basic igneous rocks which exhibit pale colored spots, or spherules, especially on weathered surfaces, that give them a pockmarked appearance. 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 Variolite information and Novaculite vs Variolite characteristics in the upcoming sections.

Novaculite vs Variolite 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 Variolite characteristics assist us to distinguish and recognize rocks. Also you can check about Properties of Novaculite and Properties of Variolite. Learn more about Novaculite vs Variolite in the next section. The interior uses of Novaculite include Countertops, Decorative aggregates, Flooring and Interior decoration whereas the interior uses of Variolite include Floor tiles, Flooring, Homes, Hotels and Kitchens. Due to some exceptional properties of Novaculite and Variolite, 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 Variolite include As dimension stone, Cobblestones, Rail track ballast, Roadstone.

More about Novaculite and Variolite

Here you can know more about Novaculite and Variolite. The life cycle of a rock consists of formation of rock, composition of rock and transformation of rock. The composition of Novaculite and Variolite consists of mineral content and compound content. The mineral content of Novaculite includes Quartz, Silicon and mineral content of Variolite includes Olivine, Plagioclase, Pyroxene. You can also check out the list of all Sedimentary Rocks. When we have to compare Novaculite vs Variolite, 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, Variolite is available in black, brown, light to dark grey colors. Appearance of Novaculite is Glassy or Pearly and that of Variolite is Dull and Soft. Properties of rock is another aspect for Novaculite vs Variolite. The hardness of Novaculite is 7 and that of Variolite is 6. The types of Novaculite are Sedimentary rock whereas types of Variolite are Metamorphic rock. 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 Variolite is white to grey. The specific heat capacity of Novaculite is 0.74 kJ/Kg K and that of Variolite is 0.84 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 Variolite is heat resistant, pressure resistant, wear resistant.