Schist is a medium grade metamorphic rock with medium to large, flat, sheet like grains in a preferred orientation
From French schiste, Greek skhistos i.e. split
Durable Rock, Medium Hardness Rock
Coarse Grained Rock, Fine Grained Rock, Medium Grained Rock, Opaque Rock
Black, Blue, Brown, Dark Brown, Green, Grey, Silver
Decorative Aggregates, Floor Tiles, Interior Decoration
Garden Decoration, Paving Stone
As Dimension Stone, Building houses or walls, Cement Manufacture, for Road Aggregate, Roadstone
Used in aquariums, Writing Slates
Mica Schists, Calc-Silicate Schists, Graphite Schists, Blueschists, Whiteschists, Greenschists, Hornblende Schist, Talc Schist, Chlorite Schist, Garnet Schist, Glaucophane schist.
Easily splits into thin plates, Smooth to touch
Archaeological Significance
Schist formed by dynamic metamorphism at high temperatures and pressures that aligns the grains of mica, hornblende and other elongated minerals into thin layers.
Alusite, Amphibole, Biotite, Chlorite, Epidote, Feldspar, Garnet, Graphite, Hornblade, Kyanite, Micas, Muscovite or Illite, Porphyroblasts, Quartz, Sillimanite, Staurolite, Talc
Biological Weathering, Chemical Weathering, Mechanical Weathering
Chemical Erosion, Coastal Erosion, Glacier Erosion
Medium to Fine Coarse Grained
Impact Resistant, Pressure Resistant, Water Resistant
Deposits in Eastern Continents
Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, China, India, Japan, Kazakhstan, Malaysia, Pakistan, Russia, Thailand, Turkey, Vietnam
Egypt, Ethiopia, Morocco, Nigeria, South Africa
Austria, England, France, Georgia, Germany, Italy, Liechtenstein, Monaco, Norway, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland
Deposits in Western Continents
Canada, Costa Rica, Cuba, Mexico, Panama, USA
Deposits in Oceania Continent
New South Wales, New Zealand, Queensland
Information about Schist
Rocks are naturally occurring solids which are composed of minerals & have been used by humans since ages. From Stone Age, rocks are used for various purposes. Also, the metals and minerals found in rock play an important role in our life. Get to know all the Schist Uses. We have provided you with all information about Schist rock here. Schist is a medium grade metamorphic rock with medium to large, flat, sheet like grains in a preferred orientation. Schist is available in black, blue, brown, dark brown, green, grey, silver colors. The streak of a rock is the color of powder produced when it is dragged across an unweathered surface. The streak of Schist is white. Get to know more about Schist rock and characteristics of Schist rock in the next sections.