Definition
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
Gritstone or grit is a hard, coarse-grained, siliceous sandstone
Origin
Ethiopia
Pennines, England
Discoverer
Obsius
J.J. Ferber
Etymology
From Latin obsidianus, misprint of Obsianus (lapis) (stone) of Obsius
From Grit + Stone
Class
Igneous Rocks
Sedimentary Rocks
Sub-Class
Durable Rock, Medium Hardness Rock
Durable Rock, Hard Rock
Group
Volcanic
Not Applicable
Other Categories
Opaque Rock
Coarse Grained Rock, Opaque Rock
Color
Black, Blue, Brown, Green, Orange, Red, Tan, Yellow
Beige, Black, Brown, Colourless, Cream, Dark Brown, Green, Grey, Light Green, Light to Dark Grey, Pink, Red, White, Yellow
Durability
Durable
Durable
Scratch Resistant
Yes
Yes
Appearance
Shiny
Layered and Foliated
Interior Uses
Decorative Aggregates, Interior Decoration
Countertops, Decorative Aggregates, Homes, Interior Decoration
Exterior Uses
Garden Decoration
As Building Stone, Garden Decoration, Office Buildings, Paving Stone
Other Architectural Uses
Not Yet Used
Curbing
Construction Industry
Arrowheads, Cutting Tool, Knives, Scrapers, Spear Points
Construction Aggregate, Roadstone
Medical Industry
Surgery
Not Yet Used
Antiquity Uses
Artifacts, Jewellery
Artifacts, Monuments, Sculpture
Commercial Uses
Creating Artwork, Mirror, Used in aquariums
An Oil and Gas Reservoir, As a Feed Additive for Livestock, Gemstone, Metallurgical Flux, Production of Lime, Soil Conditioner, Source of Magnesia (MgO), Tombstones
Types
Fireworks Obsidian, Mahogany, Sheen Obsidian, Snowflake obsidian and Velvet Peacock Obsidian
Not Available
Features
Blocks negativity, Helps to protect against depression
Available in Lots of Colors and Patterns, Generally rough to touch, Very fine grained rock
Archaeological Significance
Monuments
Not Yet Used
Used
Famous Monuments
Not Applicable
Data Not Available
Sculpture
Not Yet Used
Used
Famous Sculptures
Not Applicable
Data Not Available
Pictographs
Used
Not Used
Petroglyphs
Used
Not Used
Figurines
Not Yet Used
Used
Formation
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.
Gritstone is a type of sedimentary rock which was formed on the floors of wide river deltas where the grit deposits were laid down, with every tide or flood dumping another layer of sediment.
Mineral Content
Not Available
Calcite, Clay Minerals, Feldspar, Micas, Quartz
Compound Content
Aluminium Oxide, CaO, Iron(III) Oxide, FeO, Potassium Oxide, MgO, MnO, Sodium Oxide, Phosphorus Pentoxide, Silicon Dioxide, Titanium Dioxide
Aluminium Oxide, CaO, Iron(III) Oxide, Potassium Oxide, MgO, Sodium Oxide, Silicon Dioxide
Types of Metamorphism
Burial Metamorphism, Cataclastic Metamorphism, Contact Metamorphism
Not Applicable
Types of Weathering
Biological Weathering, Chemical Weathering, Mechanical Weathering
Biological Weathering, Chemical Weathering, Mechanical Weathering
Types of Erosion
Chemical Erosion, Coastal Erosion, Glacier Erosion
Chemical Erosion, Coastal Erosion
Grain Size
Not Applicable
Coarse Grained
Fracture
Conchoidal
Conchoidal
Porosity
Very Less Porous
Highly Porous
Cleavage
Non-Existent
Perfect
Toughness
Not Available
Not Available
Specific Gravity
2.6-2.7
2.250
Transparency
Translucent
Opaque
Density
2.6 g/cm3
2.2 g/cm3
Resistance
Heat Resistant, Impact Resistant
Heat Resistant, Impact Resistant, Pressure Resistant
Deposits in Eastern Continents
Asia
Afghanistan, Indonesia, Japan, Russia
China, India, Kazakhstan, Mongolia, Russia, Uzbekistan
Africa
Kenya
Namibia, Nigeria, South Africa
Europe
Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Italy, Turkey
Austria, Denmark, Germany, Great Britain, Netherlands, Poland, Sweden, Switzerland, United Kingdom
Others
Not Yet Found
Greenland
Deposits in Western Continents
North America
Canada, Mexico, USA
Canada, USA
South America
Argentina, Chile, Ecuador, Peru
Brazil
Deposits in Oceania Continent
Australia
New Zealand
New South Wales, New Zealand, Western Australia
Obsidian vs Gritstone 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. Obsidian vs Gritstone characteristics assist us to distinguish and recognize rocks. Also you can check about Properties of Obsidian and Properties of Gritstone. Learn more about Obsidian vs Gritstone in the next section. The interior uses of Obsidian include Decorative aggregates and Interior decoration whereas the interior uses of Gritstone include Countertops, Decorative aggregates, Homes and Interior decoration. Due to some exceptional properties of Obsidian and Gritstone, they have various applications in construction industry. The uses of Obsidian in construction industry include Arrowheads, Cutting tool, Knives, Scrapers, Spear points and that of Gritstone include Construction aggregate, Roadstone.
More about Obsidian and Gritstone
Here you can know more about Obsidian and Gritstone. The life cycle of a rock consists of formation of rock, composition of rock and transformation of rock. The composition of Obsidian and Gritstone consists of mineral content and compound content. The mineral content of Obsidian is not available and mineral content of Gritstone includes Calcite, Clay Minerals, Feldspar, Micas, Quartz. You can also check out the list of all . When we have to compare Obsidian vs Gritstone, the texture, color and appearance plays an important role in determining the type of rock. Obsidian is available in black, blue, brown, green, orange, red, tan, yellow colors whereas, Gritstone is available in beige, black, brown, colourless, cream, dark brown, green, grey, light green, light to dark grey, pink, red, white, yellow colors. Appearance of Obsidian is Shiny and that of Gritstone is Layered and Foliated. Properties of rock is another aspect for Obsidian vs Gritstone. The hardness of Obsidian is 5-5.5 and that of Gritstone is 6-7. The types of Obsidian are Fireworks Obsidian, Mahogany, Sheen Obsidian, Snowflake obsidian and Velvet Peacock Obsidian whereas types of Gritstone are Not Available. Streak of rock is the color of powder produced when it is dragged across an unweathered surface. The streak of Obsidian and Gritstone is white. The specific heat capacity of Obsidian is 0.92 kJ/Kg K and that of Gritstone 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.Obsidian is heat resistant, impact resistant whereas Gritstone is heat resistant, impact resistant, pressure resistant.