Definition
Schist is a medium grade metamorphic rock with medium to large, flat, sheet like grains in a preferred orientation
  
Gritstone or grit is a hard, coarse-grained, siliceous sandstone
  
History
  
  
Origin
Unknown
  
Pennines, England
  
Discoverer
Unknown
  
J.J. Ferber
  
Etymology
From French schiste, Greek skhistos i.e. split
  
From Grit + Stone
  
Class
Metamorphic Rocks
  
Sedimentary Rocks
  
Sub-Class
Durable Rock, Medium Hardness Rock
  
Durable Rock, Hard Rock
  
Family
  
  
Group
Not Applicable
  
Not Applicable
  
Other Categories
Coarse Grained Rock, Fine Grained Rock, Medium Grained Rock, Opaque Rock
  
Coarse Grained Rock, Opaque Rock
  
Texture
Foliated, Platy
  
Earthy
  
Color
Black, Blue, Brown, Dark Brown, Green, Grey, Silver
  
Beige, Black, Brown, Colourless, Cream, Dark Brown, Green, Grey, Light Green, Light to Dark Grey, Pink, Red, White, Yellow
  
Maintenance
Less
  
Less
  
Durability
Durable
  
Durable
  
Water Resistant
Yes
  
Yes
  
Scratch Resistant
No
  
Yes
  
Stain Resistant
No
  
Yes
  
Wind Resistant
No
  
Yes
  
Acid Resistant
No
  
No
  
Appearance
Layered and Shiny
  
Layered and Foliated
  
Architecture
  
  
Interior Uses
Decorative Aggregates, Floor Tiles, Interior Decoration
  
Countertops, Decorative Aggregates, Homes, Interior Decoration
  
Exterior Uses
Garden Decoration, Paving Stone
  
As Building Stone, Garden Decoration, Office Buildings, Paving Stone
  
Other Architectural Uses
Not Yet Used
  
Curbing
  
Industry
  
  
Construction Industry
As Dimension Stone, Building houses or walls, Cement Manufacture, for Road Aggregate, Roadstone
  
Construction Aggregate, Roadstone
  
Medical Industry
Not Yet Used
  
Not Yet Used
  
Antiquity Uses
Artifacts
  
Artifacts, Monuments, Sculpture
  
Other Uses
  
  
Commercial Uses
Used in aquariums, Writing Slates
  
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
Mica Schists, Calc-Silicate Schists, Graphite Schists, Blueschists, Whiteschists, Greenschists, Hornblende Schist, Talc Schist, Chlorite Schist, Garnet Schist, Glaucophane schist.
  
Not Available
  
Features
Easily splits into thin plates, Smooth to touch
  
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
  
Fossils
Absent
  
Present
  
Formation
Schist formed by dynamic metamorphism at high temperatures and pressures that aligns the grains of mica, hornblende and other elongated minerals into thin layers.
  
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.
  
Composition
  
  
Mineral Content
Alusite, Amphibole, Biotite, Chlorite, Epidote, Feldspar, Garnet, Graphite, Hornblade, Kyanite, Micas, Muscovite or Illite, Porphyroblasts, Quartz, Sillimanite, Staurolite, Talc
  
Calcite, Clay Minerals, Feldspar, Micas, Quartz
  
Compound Content
CaO, Carbon Dioxide, MgO
  
Aluminium Oxide, CaO, Iron(III) Oxide, Potassium Oxide, MgO, Sodium Oxide, Silicon Dioxide
  
Transformation
  
  
Metamorphism
No
  
No
  
Types of Metamorphism
Not Applicable
  
Not Applicable
  
Weathering
Yes
  
Yes
  
Types of Weathering
Biological Weathering, Chemical Weathering, Mechanical Weathering
  
Biological Weathering, Chemical Weathering, Mechanical Weathering
  
Erosion
Yes
  
Yes
  
Types of Erosion
Chemical Erosion, Coastal Erosion, Glacier Erosion
  
Chemical Erosion, Coastal Erosion
  
Physical Properties
  
  
Hardness
3.5-4
  
6-7
  
Grain Size
Medium to Fine Coarse Grained
  
Coarse Grained
  
Fracture
Conchoidal
  
Conchoidal
  
Streak
White
  
White
  
Porosity
Highly Porous
  
Highly Porous
  
Luster
Shiny
  
Dull
  
Compressive Strength
Not Available
  
70.00 N/mm
2
  
24
Cleavage
Slaty
  
Perfect
  
Toughness
1.5
  
Not Available
  
Specific Gravity
2.5-2.9
  
2.250
  
Transparency
Opaque
  
Opaque
  
Density
2.8-2.9 g/cm3
  
2.2 g/cm3
  
Thermal Properties
  
  
Specific Heat Capacity
Not Available
  
0.92 kJ/Kg K
  
10
Resistance
Impact Resistant, Pressure Resistant, Water Resistant
  
Heat Resistant, Impact Resistant, Pressure Resistant
  
Deposits in Eastern Continents
  
  
Asia
Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, China, India, Japan, Kazakhstan, Malaysia, Pakistan, Russia, Thailand, Turkey, Vietnam
  
China, India, Kazakhstan, Mongolia, Russia, Uzbekistan
  
Africa
Egypt, Ethiopia, Morocco, Nigeria, South Africa
  
Namibia, Nigeria, South Africa
  
Europe
Austria, England, France, Georgia, Germany, Italy, Liechtenstein, Monaco, Norway, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland
  
Austria, Denmark, Germany, Great Britain, Netherlands, Poland, Sweden, Switzerland, United Kingdom
  
Others
Not Yet Found
  
Greenland
  
Deposits in Western Continents
  
  
North America
Canada, Costa Rica, Cuba, Mexico, Panama, USA
  
Canada, USA
  
South America
Brazil, Colombia, Guyana
  
Brazil
  
Deposits in Oceania Continent
  
  
Australia
New South Wales, New Zealand, Queensland
  
New South Wales, New Zealand, Western Australia
  
All about Schist and Gritstone Properties
Know all about Schist and Gritstone properties here. All properties of rocks are important as they define the type of rock and its application. Schist belongs to Metamorphic Rocks while Gritstone belongs to Sedimentary Rocks.Texture of Schist is Foliated, Platy whereas that of Gritstone is Earthy. Schist appears Layered and Shiny and Gritstone appears Layered and Foliated. The luster of Schist is shiny while that of Gritstone is dull. Schist is available in black, blue, brown, dark brown, green, grey, silver 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. The commercial uses of Schist are used in aquariums, writing slates and that of Gritstone are an oil and gas reservoir, as a feed additive for livestock, gemstone, metallurgical flux, production of lime, soil conditioner, source of magnesia (mgo), tombstones.