Definition
Porphyry is a reddish-brown to purple igneous rock containing large phenocrysts of various minerals embedded in a fine-grained matrix
Blueschist is a metamorphic rock which is generally blue in color and is formed under conditions of high pressure and low temperature
Discoverer
Unknown
Edgar Bailey
Etymology
From Old French porfire, from Italian porfiro and in some cases directly from Latin porphyrites
From French schiste, Greek skhistos i.e. split
Class
Igneous Rocks
Metamorphic Rocks
Sub-Class
Durable Rock, Hard Rock
Durable Rock, Medium Hardness Rock
Group
Plutonic
Not Applicable
Other Categories
Fine Grained Rock, Opaque Rock
Fine Grained Rock, Medium Grained Rock, Opaque Rock
Texture
Porphyritic
Foliated
Color
Black, Brown, Colourless, Green, Grey, Red, Rust, White
Blue, Bluish - Grey, Purple, Shades of Blue
Durability
Durable
Durable
Appearance
Dull
Dull and Banded
Interior Uses
Decorative Aggregates, Interior Decoration
Floor Tiles, Flooring, Homes, Hotels, Kitchens
Exterior Uses
Garden Decoration, Paving Stone
Garden Decoration, Office Buildings
Other Architectural Uses
Curbing
Not Yet Used
Construction Industry
Construction Aggregate
As Dimension Stone, Cobblestones, Rail Track Ballast, Roadstone
Medical Industry
Not Yet Used
Not Yet Used
Antiquity Uses
Artifacts, Monuments, Sculpture
Artifacts, Monuments, Sculpture
Commercial Uses
Creating Artwork, Gemstone, Jewelry
Cemetery Markers, Commemorative Tablets, Creating Artwork, Curling, Tombstones
Types
Rhomb Porphyry
Not Available
Features
Generally rough to touch, Is one of the oldest rock, Surfaces are often shiny
Has High structural resistance against erosion and climate, Very fine grained rock
Archaeological Significance
Famous Monuments
Data Not Available
Data Not Available
Famous Sculptures
Data Not Available
Data Not Available
Pictographs
Not Used
Used
Petroglyphs
Not Used
Used
Formation
Porphyry is formed in two stages: the magma cools slowly deep within the crust or the magma is cools rapidly as it erupts from a volcano, creating small grains that are usually invisible to naked eye.
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
Biotite, Chert, Feldspar, Garnet, Graphite, Quartz, Silica
Albite, Chlorite, Epidote, Garnet, Glaucophane, Lawsonite, Muscovite or Illite, Quartz
Compound Content
Aluminium Oxide, CaO, Iron(III) Oxide, Potassium Oxide, MgO, Sodium Oxide, Silicon Dioxide, Titanium Dioxide
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
Not Applicable
Types of Weathering
Biological Weathering, Chemical Weathering, Not Registered
Mechanical Weathering
Types of Erosion
Chemical Erosion, Coastal Erosion, Glacier Erosion
Chemical Erosion, Coastal Erosion, Water Erosion, Wind Erosion
Grain Size
Fine Grained
Fine to Medium Grained
Fracture
Irregular
Conchoidal
Streak
White
White to Grey
Porosity
Less Porous
Highly Porous
Specific Gravity
2.5-4
3-3.2
Transparency
Translucent to Opaque
Opaque
Density
2.5-2.52 g/cm3
2.8-2.9 g/cm3
Resistance
Heat Resistant, Impact Resistant
Impact Resistant, Pressure Resistant
Deposits in Eastern Continents
Asia
China, Kazakhstan, South Korea, Thailand, Turkey, Vietnam
Japan, Turkey
Africa
Egypt, Ethiopia, Ghana, South Africa
Egypt, Ethiopia, South Africa
Europe
Finland, France, Germany, Great Britain, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Netherlands, Norway, Romania, Sweden, Switzerland
France, Greece, Iceland
Others
Greenland
Not Yet Found
Deposits in Western Continents
North America
Canada, Cuba, Jamaica, USA
USA
South America
Bolivia, Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador, Paraguay
Not Yet Found
Deposits in Oceania Continent
Australia
New South Wales, New Zealand, Western Australia
New Zealand
Porphyry 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. Porphyry vs Blueschist characteristics assist us to distinguish and recognize rocks. Also you can check about Properties of Porphyry and Properties of Blueschist. Learn more about Porphyry vs Blueschist in the next section. The interior uses of Porphyry include Decorative aggregates and Interior decoration whereas the interior uses of Blueschist include Floor tiles, Flooring, Homes, Hotels and Kitchens. Due to some exceptional properties of Porphyry and Blueschist, they have various applications in construction industry. The uses of Porphyry in construction industry include Construction aggregate and that of Blueschist include As dimension stone, Cobblestones, Rail track ballast, Roadstone.
More about Porphyry and Blueschist
Here you can know more about Porphyry and Blueschist. The life cycle of a rock consists of formation of rock, composition of rock and transformation of rock. The composition of Porphyry and Blueschist consists of mineral content and compound content. The mineral content of Porphyry includes Biotite, Chert, Feldspar, Garnet, Graphite, Quartz, Silica 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 Porphyry vs Blueschist, the texture, color and appearance plays an important role in determining the type of rock. Porphyry is available in black, brown, colourless, green, grey, red, rust, white colors whereas, Blueschist is available in blue, bluish - grey, purple, shades of blue colors. Appearance of Porphyry is Dull and that of Blueschist is Dull and Banded. Properties of rock is another aspect for Porphyry vs Blueschist. The hardness of Porphyry is 6-7 and that of Blueschist is 3.5-4. The types of Porphyry are Rhomb Porphyry whereas types of Blueschist are Not Available. Streak of rock is the color of powder produced when it is dragged across an unweathered surface. The streak of Porphyry is white while that of Blueschist is white to grey. The specific heat capacity of Porphyry is Not Available and that of Blueschist is Not Available. Depending on the properties like hardness, toughness, specific heat capacity, porosity etc., rocks are resistant to heat, wear, impact, etc.Porphyry is heat resistant, impact resistant whereas Blueschist is impact resistant, pressure resistant.