Definition
Pegmatite rock is a holocrystalline, intrusive igneous rock which is composed of interlocking phaneritic crystals
Slate is a fine-grained, foliated, homogeneous metamorphic rock derived from an original shale-type sedimentary rock composed of clay or volcanic ash through low-grade regional metamorphism
Discoverer
R. J. Hauy
Unknown
Etymology
From Greek pegma, pegmat which means- thing joined together + -ite
From Old French esclate, from esclat (French éclat)
Class
Igneous Rocks
Metamorphic Rocks
Sub-Class
Durable Rock, Hard Rock
Durable Rock, Medium Hardness Rock
Group
Plutonic
Not Applicable
Other Categories
Coarse Grained Rock, Opaque Rock
Fine Grained Rock, Opaque Rock
Texture
Pegmatitic
Foliated
Color
Black, Brown, Cream, Green, Grey, Pink, Red, Rust, Silver, White, Yellow
Black, Brown, Buff, Green, Light to Dark Grey, Purple, Red, Shades of Blue
Durability
Durable
Durable
Scratch Resistant
Yes
Yes
Appearance
Layered, Banded, Veined and Shiny
Dull
Interior Uses
Decorative Aggregates, Flooring, Interior Decoration
Bathrooms, Decorative Aggregates, Entryways, Floor Tiles, Flooring, Homes, Hotels, Interior Decoration, Kitchens, Stair Treads
Exterior Uses
As Building Stone, As Facing Stone, Paving Stone
As Building Stone, As Facing Stone, Garden Decoration, Paving Stone
Other Architectural Uses
Curbing
Curbing
Construction Industry
As Dimension Stone, Building houses or walls, Construction Aggregate, for Road Aggregate, Landscaping
As Dimension Stone
Medical Industry
Not Yet Used
Not Yet Used
Antiquity Uses
Artifacts, Sculpture, Small Figurines
Artifacts, Monuments, Sculpture, Small Figurines
Commercial Uses
Creating Artwork, Jewelry, Source of corundum, tourmalines, beryls and topaz
Blackboards, Commemorative Tablets, Laboratory bench tops, Standard material for the bed of Billiard table, Standard material for the beds of Pool and Snooker table, Tombstones, Used in aquariums, Writing Slates
Types
Granite Pegmatite, Gabbro Pegmatite and Diorite Pegmatite
Not Available
Features
Generally rough to touch, Is one of the oldest rock, Source of corundum, tourmalines, beryls and topaz
Easily splits into thin plates, Surfaces are often shiny, Very fine grained rock
Archaeological Significance
Monuments
Not Yet Used
Used
Famous Monuments
Not Applicable
Data Not Available
Famous Sculptures
Data Not Available
Data Not Available
Pictographs
Not Used
Used
Petroglyphs
Not Used
Used
Formation
Pegmatite rock is holocrystalline, intrusive igneous rock which is formed by partial melting and dewatering during the process of metamorphism.
Slate is a low grade metamorphic rock that is generally formed by metamorphosis of mudstone or shale, under relatively low pressure and temperature conditions.
Mineral Content
Apatite, Beryl, Feldspar, Fluorite, Garnet, Lepidolite, Quartz, Silica, Spodumene, Topaz
Apatite, Biotite, Chlorite, Feldspar, Graphite, Hematite, Kaolinite, Magnetite, Pyrite, Tourmaline, Zircon
Compound Content
Aluminium Oxide, CaO, Iron(III) Oxide, FeO, Potassium Oxide, Magnesium Carbonate, MgO, Phosphorus Pentoxide
Aluminium Oxide, CaO, Iron(III) Oxide, Potassium Oxide, MgO, Sodium Oxide, Silicon Dioxide, Titanium Dioxide
Types of Metamorphism
Burial Metamorphism, Cataclastic Metamorphism, Contact Metamorphism, Hydrothermal Metamorphism, Impact Metamorphism, Regional Metamorphism
Burial Metamorphism, Cataclastic Metamorphism, Regional Metamorphism
Types of Weathering
Biological Weathering, Chemical Weathering, Mechanical Weathering
Biological Weathering, Chemical Weathering, Mechanical Weathering
Types of Erosion
Chemical Erosion, Coastal Erosion, Glacier Erosion, Sea Erosion, Water Erosion, Wind Erosion
Coastal Erosion, Glacier Erosion, Water Erosion, Wind Erosion
Grain Size
Medium to Coarse Grained
Very fine-grained
Fracture
Conchoidal
Splintery
Streak
White
Light to dark brown
Porosity
Less Porous
Less Porous
Luster
Grainy, Pearly and Vitreous
Dull
Specific Gravity
2.6-2.63
2.65-2.8
Transparency
Translucent to Opaque
Opaque
Density
2.6-2.65 g/cm3
2.6-2.8 g/cm3
Specific Heat Capacity
Not Available
Resistance
Heat Resistant, Impact Resistant, Pressure Resistant
Heat Resistant, Impact Resistant, Pressure Resistant, Wear Resistant
Deposits in Eastern Continents
Asia
China, India, Iran, Japan, Nepal, North Korea, Russia, Saudi Arabia, South Korea
China, India, Turkey
Africa
South Africa
Not Yet Found
Europe
Austria, France, Greece, Ireland, Italy, Netherlands, Slovakia, Spain, Turkey, Ukraine
Belgium, France, Germany, Italy, Norway, Portugal, Spain, United Kingdom
Others
Not Yet Found
Arctic
Deposits in Western Continents
South America
Brazil
Brazil
Deposits in Oceania Continent
Australia
New South Wales, Queensland, South Australia, Western Australia
Not Yet Found
Pegmatite vs Slate 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 Slate characteristics assist us to distinguish and recognize rocks. Also you can check about Properties of Pegmatite and Properties of Slate. Learn more about Pegmatite vs Slate in the next section. The interior uses of Pegmatite include Decorative aggregates, Flooring and Interior decoration whereas the interior uses of Slate include Bathrooms, Decorative aggregates, Entryways, Floor tiles, Flooring, Homes, Hotels, Interior decoration, Kitchens and Stair treads. Due to some exceptional properties of Pegmatite and Slate, 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 Slate include As dimension stone.
More about Pegmatite and Slate
Here you can know more about Pegmatite and Slate. The life cycle of a rock consists of formation of rock, composition of rock and transformation of rock. The composition of Pegmatite and Slate 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 Slate includes Apatite, Biotite, Chlorite, Feldspar, Graphite, Hematite, Kaolinite, Magnetite, Pyrite, Tourmaline, Zircon. You can also check out the list of all Igneous Rocks. When we have to compare Pegmatite vs Slate, 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, Slate is available in black, brown, buff, green, light to dark grey, purple, red, shades of blue colors. Appearance of Pegmatite is Layered, Banded, Veined and Shiny and that of Slate is Dull. Properties of rock is another aspect for Pegmatite vs Slate. The hardness of Pegmatite is 7 and that of Slate is 3-4. The types of Pegmatite are Granite Pegmatite, Gabbro Pegmatite and Diorite Pegmatite whereas types of Slate are Not Available. 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 Slate is light to dark brown. The specific heat capacity of Pegmatite is Not Available and that of Slate is 0.76 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 Slate is heat resistant, impact resistant, pressure resistant, wear resistant.