Definition
Schist is a medium grade metamorphic rock with medium to large, flat, sheet like grains in a preferred orientation
  
Felsite is a very fine grained volcanic rock that may or may not contain larger crystals and light colored rock that typically requires petrographic examination or chemical analysis for more precise definition
  
History
  
  
Discoverer
Unknown
  
Unknown
  
Etymology
From French schiste, Greek skhistos i.e. split
  
From English feldspar and -ite
  
Class
Metamorphic Rocks
  
Igneous Rocks
  
Sub-Class
Durable Rock, Medium Hardness Rock
  
Durable Rock, Medium Hardness Rock
  
Family
  
  
Group
Not Applicable
  
Volcanic
  
Other Categories
Coarse Grained Rock, Fine Grained Rock, Medium Grained Rock, Opaque Rock
  
Fine Grained Rock, Opaque Rock
  
Texture
Foliated, Platy
  
Arborescent Patterned, Vitreous
  
Color
Black, Blue, Brown, Dark Brown, Green, Grey, Silver
  
Black, Blue, Brown, Green, Orange, Red, Tan, Yellow
  
Maintenance
Less
  
Less
  
Durability
Durable
  
Durable
  
Water Resistant
Yes
  
Yes
  
Scratch Resistant
No
  
Yes
  
Stain Resistant
No
  
No
  
Wind Resistant
No
  
Yes
  
Acid Resistant
No
  
No
  
Appearance
Layered and Shiny
  
Layered, Banded, Veined and Shiny
  
Architecture
  
  
Interior Uses
Decorative Aggregates, Floor Tiles, Interior Decoration
  
Decorative Aggregates, Flooring, Interior Decoration
  
Exterior Uses
Garden Decoration, Paving Stone
  
Paving Stone, Garden Decoration
  
Other Architectural Uses
Not Yet Used
  
Curbing
  
Industry
  
  
Construction Industry
As Dimension Stone, Building houses or walls, Cement Manufacture, for Road Aggregate, Roadstone
  
Arrowheads, Cutting Tool, Knives, Scrapers, Spear Points
  
Medical Industry
Not Yet Used
  
Surgery
  
Antiquity Uses
Artifacts
  
Artifacts
  
Other Uses
  
  
Commercial Uses
Used in aquariums, Writing Slates
  
Mirror, Jewelry
  
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, Clasts are smooth to touch, Splintery, Very fine grained rock
  
Archaeological Significance
  
  
Monuments
Not Yet Used
  
Not Yet Used
  
Famous Monuments
Not Applicable
  
Not Applicable
  
Sculpture
Not Yet Used
  
Not Yet Used
  
Famous Sculptures
Not Applicable
  
Not Applicable
  
Pictographs
Used
  
Used
  
Petroglyphs
Used
  
Used
  
Figurines
Not Yet Used
  
Not Yet Used
  
Fossils
Absent
  
Absent
  
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.
  
Felsite is a fine-grained, hard rock which is a type of metasomatite, essentially altered basalt. It forms with or without crystallization, either below the surface as intrusive rocks or on the surface as extrusive rocks.
  
Composition
  
  
Mineral Content
Alusite, Amphibole, Biotite, Chlorite, Epidote, Feldspar, Garnet, Graphite, Hornblade, Kyanite, Micas, Muscovite or Illite, Porphyroblasts, Quartz, Sillimanite, Staurolite, Talc
  
Feldspar, Iron Oxides
  
Compound Content
CaO, Carbon Dioxide, MgO
  
Aluminium Oxide, CaO, Iron(III) Oxide, FeO, Potassium Oxide, MgO, MnO, Sodium Oxide, Phosphorus Pentoxide, Silicon Dioxide, Titanium Dioxide
  
Transformation
  
  
Metamorphism
No
  
Yes
  
Types of Metamorphism
Not Applicable
  
Burial Metamorphism, Contact Metamorphism, Impact Metamorphism, Regional Metamorphism
  
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, Glacier Erosion, Water Erosion
  
Physical Properties
  
  
Hardness
3.5-4
  
5-5.5
  
Grain Size
Medium to Fine Coarse Grained
  
Fine Grained
  
Fracture
Conchoidal
  
Conchoidal
  
Streak
White
  
White
  
Porosity
Highly Porous
  
Very Less Porous
  
Luster
Shiny
  
Vitreous
  
Compressive Strength
Not Available
  
Cleavage
Slaty
  
Non-Existent
  
Toughness
1.5
  
Not Available
  
Specific Gravity
2.5-2.9
  
2.6-2.7
  
Transparency
Opaque
  
Translucent
  
Density
2.8-2.9 g/cm3
  
2.6 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
  
Deposits in Eastern Continents
  
  
Asia
Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, China, India, Japan, Kazakhstan, Malaysia, Pakistan, Russia, Thailand, Turkey, Vietnam
  
Afghanistan, Indonesia, Japan, Russia
  
Africa
Egypt, Ethiopia, Morocco, Nigeria, South Africa
  
Kenya
  
Europe
Austria, England, France, Georgia, Germany, Italy, Liechtenstein, Monaco, Norway, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland
  
Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Italy, Turkey
  
Others
Not Yet Found
  
Not Yet Found
  
Deposits in Western Continents
  
  
North America
Canada, Costa Rica, Cuba, Mexico, Panama, USA
  
Canada, Mexico, USA
  
South America
Brazil, Colombia, Guyana
  
Argentina, Chile, Ecuador, Peru
  
Deposits in Oceania Continent
  
  
Australia
New South Wales, New Zealand, Queensland
  
New Zealand
  
Schist vs Felsite 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. Schist vs Felsite characteristics assist us to distinguish and recognize rocks. Also you can check about Properties of Schist and Properties of Felsite. Learn more about Schist vs Felsite in the next section. The interior uses of Schist include Decorative aggregates, Floor tiles and Interior decoration whereas the interior uses of Felsite include Decorative aggregates, Flooring and Interior decoration. Due to some exceptional properties of Schist and Felsite, they have various applications in construction industry. The uses of Schist in construction industry include As dimension stone, Building houses or walls, Cement manufacture, For road aggregate, Roadstone and that of Felsite include Arrowheads, Cutting tool, Knives, Scrapers, Spear points.
More about Schist and Felsite
Here you can know more about Schist and Felsite. The life cycle of a rock consists of formation of rock, composition of rock and transformation of rock. The composition of Schist and Felsite consists of mineral content and compound content. The mineral content of Schist includes Alusite, Amphibole, Biotite, Chlorite, Epidote, Feldspar, Garnet, Graphite, Hornblade, Kyanite, Micas, Muscovite or Illite, Porphyroblasts, Quartz, Sillimanite, Staurolite, Talc and mineral content of Felsite includes Feldspar, Iron Oxides. You can also check out the list of all Metamorphic Rocks. When we have to compare Schist vs Felsite, the texture, color and appearance plays an important role in determining the type of rock. Schist is available in black, blue, brown, dark brown, green, grey, silver colors whereas, Felsite is available in black, blue, brown, green, orange, red, tan, yellow colors. Appearance of Schist is Layered and Shiny and that of Felsite is Layered, Banded, Veined and Shiny. Properties of rock is another aspect for Schist vs Felsite. The hardness of Schist is 3.5-4 and that of Felsite is 5-5.5. The types of Schist are Mica Schists, Calc-Silicate Schists, Graphite Schists, Blueschists, Whiteschists, Greenschists, Hornblende Schist, Talc Schist, Chlorite Schist, Garnet Schist, Glaucophane schist. whereas types of Felsite are Not Available. Streak of rock is the color of powder produced when it is dragged across an unweathered surface. The streak of Schist and Felsite is white. The specific heat capacity of Schist is Not Available and that of Felsite is 0.92 kJ/Kg K. Depending on the properties like hardness, toughness, specific heat capacity, porosity etc., rocks are resistant to heat, wear, impact, etc.Schist is impact resistant, pressure resistant, water resistant whereas Felsite is heat resistant, impact resistant.