Definition
Schist is a medium grade metamorphic rock with medium to large, flat, sheet like grains in a preferred orientation
Marble is a non-foliated metamorphic rock which is composed of recrystallized carbonate which is formed when limestone is exposed to high temperatures and pressures over a long time
Discoverer
Unknown
Unknown
Etymology
From French schiste, Greek skhistos i.e. split
From the Greek marmaros, shining stone and also from the English word marmoreal meaning marble-like
Class
Metamorphic Rocks
Metamorphic Rocks
Sub-Class
Durable Rock, Medium Hardness Rock
Durable Rock, Medium Hardness Rock
Other Categories
Coarse Grained Rock, Fine Grained Rock, Medium Grained Rock, Opaque Rock
Medium Grained Rock, Opaque Rock
Texture
Foliated, Platy
Granular
Color
Black, Blue, Brown, Dark Brown, Green, Grey, Silver
Black, Blue, Brown, Grey, Pink, White
Durability
Durable
Durable
Appearance
Layered and Shiny
Veined and Shiny
Interior Uses
Decorative Aggregates, Floor Tiles, Interior Decoration
Bathrooms, Countertops, Decorative Aggregates, Entryways, Floor Tiles, Homes, Hotels, Interior Decoration, Kitchens, Stair Treads
Exterior Uses
Garden Decoration, Paving Stone
As Building Stone, As Facing Stone, Garden Decoration, Office Buildings, Paving Stone
Other Architectural Uses
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-
Construction Industry
As Dimension Stone, Building houses or walls, Cement Manufacture, for Road Aggregate, Roadstone
As Dimension Stone
Antiquity Uses
Artifacts
Artifacts, Jewellery, Monuments, Sculpture, Small Figurines
Commercial Uses
Used in aquariums, Writing Slates
Cemetery Markers, Commemorative Tablets, Creating Artwork, Curling, Laboratory bench tops, Paper Industry, Tombstones, Used in aquariums, Whiting material in toothpaste, paint and paper
Types
Mica Schists, Calc-Silicate Schists, Graphite Schists, Blueschists, Whiteschists, Greenschists, Hornblende Schist, Talc Schist, Chlorite Schist, Garnet Schist, Glaucophane schist.
Breccia Marble, Carrara Marble, Calacatta marble, Cultured Marble, Polished Marble, Honed Marble, Sand Marble
Features
Easily splits into thin plates, Smooth to touch
Available in Lots of Colors and Patterns, Easily splits into thin plates, Generally rough to touch, Is one of the oldest rock
Archaeological Significance
Famous Monuments
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Al Aqsa Mosque in Jerusalem, Buland Darwaza in Agra, India, Capitol Hill Building, Washington DC, Charminar in Hyderabad, India, Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus in Maharashtra, India, Ephesus in Turkey, Faisal Mosque in Islamabad, Pakistan, Humayun's Tomb in Delhi, India, Jama Masjid in Delhi, India, Lotus Temple in New Delhi, India, Louvre in Paris, France, Mysore Palace in Karnataka, India, Neuschwanstein in Bavaria, Palace of Parliament in Bucharest, Romania, Parthenon in Greece, Potala Palace in Lahasa, Tibet, Prophet’s Mosque in Medina, Qutb Minar in India, Saint Basil's Cathedral in Moscow, Russia, St. Peter’s Cathedral in Vatican City, Taj Mahal in Agra, India, Tower of Pisa, Italy, Victoria Memorial in Kolkata, India, Washington Monument, US
Famous Sculptures
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Ajanta Caves in Maharashtra, India, Bust of Artemis, Elephanta Caves in Maharashtra, India, Lincoln Memorial in America
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.
Marble is a metamorphic rock produced from limestone in the earth crust. It is formed by the metamorphism of limestone.
Mineral Content
Alusite, Amphibole, Biotite, Chlorite, Epidote, Feldspar, Garnet, Graphite, Hornblade, Kyanite, Micas, Muscovite or Illite, Porphyroblasts, Quartz, Sillimanite, Staurolite, Talc
Garnet, Graphite, Olivine, Pyrite, Quartz
Compound Content
CaO, Carbon Dioxide, MgO
CaO, Iron(III) Oxide, FeO, MgO, Silicon Dioxide
Types of Metamorphism
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Impact 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
Chemical Erosion, Coastal Erosion
Grain Size
Medium to Fine Coarse Grained
Medium Grained
Porosity
Highly Porous
Less Porous
Luster
Shiny
Dull to Pearly to Subvitreous
Specific Gravity
2.5-2.9
2.86-2.87
Transparency
Opaque
Opaque
Density
2.8-2.9 g/cm3
2.4-2.7 g/cm3
Resistance
Impact Resistant, Pressure Resistant, Water Resistant
Heat Resistant
Deposits in Eastern Continents
Asia
Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, China, India, Japan, Kazakhstan, Malaysia, Pakistan, Russia, Thailand, Turkey, Vietnam
China, India
Africa
Egypt, Ethiopia, Morocco, Nigeria, South Africa
Namibia
Europe
Austria, England, France, Georgia, Germany, Italy, Liechtenstein, Monaco, Norway, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland
Italy, Spain
Deposits in Western Continents
North America
Canada, Costa Rica, Cuba, Mexico, Panama, USA
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South America
Brazil, Colombia, Guyana
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Deposits in Oceania Continent
Australia
New South Wales, New Zealand, Queensland
New South Wales, New Zealand, Queensland, Victoria