Definition
Pegmatite rock is a holocrystalline, intrusive igneous rock which is composed of interlocking phaneritic crystals
Blueschist is a metamorphic rock which is generally blue in color and is formed under conditions of high pressure and low temperature
Discoverer
R. J. Hauy
Edgar Bailey
Etymology
From Greek pegma, pegmat which means- thing joined together + -ite
From French schiste, Greek skhistos i.e. split
Class
Igneous Rocks
Metamorphic Rocks
Sub-Class
Durable Rock, Hard Rock
Durable Rock, Medium Hardness Rock
Other Categories
Coarse Grained Rock, Opaque Rock
Fine Grained Rock, Medium Grained Rock, Opaque Rock
Texture
Pegmatitic
Foliated
Color
Black, Brown, Cream, Green, Grey, Pink, Red, Rust, Silver, White, Yellow
Blue, Bluish - Grey, Purple, Shades of Blue
Durability
Durable
Durable
Appearance
Layered, Banded, Veined and Shiny
Dull and Banded
Interior Uses
Decorative Aggregates, Flooring, Interior Decoration
Floor Tiles, Flooring, Homes, Hotels, Kitchens
Exterior Uses
As Building Stone, As Facing Stone, Paving Stone
Garden Decoration, Office Buildings
Other Architectural Uses
Curbing
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Construction Industry
As Dimension Stone, Building houses or walls, Construction Aggregate, for Road Aggregate, Landscaping
As Dimension Stone, Cobblestones, Rail Track Ballast, Roadstone
Antiquity Uses
Artifacts, Sculpture, Small Figurines
Artifacts, Monuments, Sculpture
Commercial Uses
Creating Artwork, Jewelry, Source of corundum, tourmalines, beryls and topaz
Cemetery Markers, Commemorative Tablets, Creating Artwork, Curling, Tombstones
Types
Granite Pegmatite, Gabbro Pegmatite and Diorite Pegmatite
Metamorphic rock
Features
Generally rough to touch, Is one of the oldest rock, Source of corundum, tourmalines, beryls and topaz
Has High structural resistance against erosion and climate, Very fine grained rock
Archaeological Significance
Formation
Pegmatite rock is holocrystalline, intrusive igneous rock which is formed by partial melting and dewatering during the process of metamorphism.
Blueschist forms due to the metamorphism of basalt and other rocks with similar composition at high pressures and low temperatures and approximately corresponding to a depth of 15 to 30 kilometers and 200 to 500 °C.
Mineral Content
Apatite, Beryl, Feldspar, Fluorite, Garnet, Lepidolite, Quartz, Silica, Spodumene, Topaz
Albite, Chlorite, Epidote, Garnet, Glaucophane, Lawsonite, Muscovite or Illite, Quartz
Compound Content
Aluminium Oxide, CaO, Iron(III) Oxide, FeO, Potassium Oxide, Magnesium Carbonate, MgO, Phosphorus Pentoxide
Aluminium Oxide, CaO, Iron(III) Oxide, FeO, Potassium Oxide, MgO, MnO, Sodium Oxide, Phosphorus Pentoxide, Silicon Dioxide, Titanium Dioxide
Types of Metamorphism
Burial Metamorphism, Cataclastic Metamorphism, Contact Metamorphism, Hydrothermal Metamorphism, Impact Metamorphism, Regional Metamorphism
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Types of Weathering
Biological Weathering, Chemical Weathering, Mechanical Weathering
Mechanical Weathering
Types of Erosion
Chemical Erosion, Coastal Erosion, Glacier Erosion, Sea Erosion, Water Erosion, Wind Erosion
Chemical Erosion, Coastal Erosion, Water Erosion, Wind Erosion
Grain Size
Medium to Coarse Grained
Fine to Medium Grained
Fracture
Conchoidal
Conchoidal
Streak
White
White to Grey
Porosity
Less Porous
Highly Porous
Luster
Grainy, Pearly and Vitreous
Dull
Specific Gravity
2.6-2.63
3-3.2
Transparency
Translucent to Opaque
Opaque
Density
2.6-2.65 g/cm3
2.8-2.9 g/cm3
Resistance
Heat Resistant, Impact Resistant, Pressure Resistant
Impact Resistant, Pressure Resistant
Deposits in Eastern Continents
Asia
China, India, Iran, Japan, Nepal, North Korea, Russia, Saudi Arabia, South Korea
Japan, Turkey
Africa
South Africa
Egypt, Ethiopia, South Africa
Europe
Austria, France, Greece, Ireland, Italy, Netherlands, Slovakia, Spain, Turkey, Ukraine
France, Greece, Iceland
Deposits in Western Continents
Deposits in Oceania Continent
Australia
New South Wales, Queensland, South Australia, Western Australia
New Zealand
Pegmatite vs Blueschist 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. Pegmatite vs Blueschist characteristics assist us to distinguish and recognize rocks. Also you can check about Properties of Pegmatite and Properties of Blueschist. Learn more about Pegmatite vs Blueschist in the next section. The interior uses of Pegmatite include Decorative aggregates, Flooring and Interior decoration whereas the interior uses of Blueschist include Floor tiles, Flooring, Homes, Hotels and Kitchens. Due to some exceptional properties of Pegmatite and Blueschist, they have various applications in construction industry. The uses of Pegmatite in construction industry include As dimension stone, Building houses or walls, Construction aggregate, For road aggregate, Landscaping and that of Blueschist include As dimension stone, Cobblestones, Rail track ballast, Roadstone.
More about Pegmatite and Blueschist
Here you can know more about Pegmatite and Blueschist. The life cycle of a rock consists of formation of rock, composition of rock and transformation of rock. The composition of Pegmatite and Blueschist consists of mineral content and compound content. The mineral content of Pegmatite includes Apatite, Beryl, Feldspar, Fluorite, Garnet, Lepidolite, Quartz, Silica, Spodumene, Topaz and mineral content of Blueschist includes Albite, Chlorite, Epidote, Garnet, Glaucophane, Lawsonite, Muscovite or Illite, Quartz. You can also check out the list of all Igneous Rocks. When we have to compare Pegmatite vs Blueschist, the texture, color and appearance plays an important role in determining the type of rock. Pegmatite is available in black, brown, cream, green, grey, pink, red, rust, silver, white, yellow colors whereas, Blueschist is available in blue, bluish - grey, purple, shades of blue colors. Appearance of Pegmatite is Layered, Banded, Veined and Shiny and that of Blueschist is Dull and Banded. Properties of rock is another aspect for Pegmatite vs Blueschist. The hardness of Pegmatite is 7 and that of Blueschist is 3.5-4. The types of Pegmatite are Granite Pegmatite, Gabbro Pegmatite and Diorite Pegmatite whereas types of Blueschist are Metamorphic rock. Streak of rock is the color of powder produced when it is dragged across an unweathered surface. The streak of Pegmatite is white while that of Blueschist is white to grey. The specific heat capacity of Pegmatite is 0.79 kJ/Kg K and that of Blueschist 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.Pegmatite is heat resistant, impact resistant, pressure resistant whereas Blueschist is impact resistant, pressure resistant.