Definition
Schist is a medium grade metamorphic rock with medium to large, flat, sheet like grains in a preferred orientation
Quartzite is a non-foliated metamorphic rock that forms by the metamorphism of pure quartz Sandstone
Discoverer
Unknown
Unknown
Etymology
From French schiste, Greek skhistos i.e. split
From quartz + -ite
Class
Metamorphic Rocks
Metamorphic Rocks
Sub-Class
Durable Rock, Medium Hardness Rock
Durable Rock, Hard Rock
Group
Not Applicable
Not Applicable
Other Categories
Coarse Grained Rock, Fine Grained Rock, Medium Grained Rock, Opaque Rock
Medium Grained Rock, Opaque Rock
Texture
Foliated, Platy
Foliated, Granular
Color
Black, Blue, Brown, Dark Brown, Green, Grey, Silver
Black, Blue, Brown, Green, Light Grey, Purple, White, Yellow
Durability
Durable
Durable
Appearance
Layered and Shiny
Lustrous
Interior Uses
Decorative Aggregates, Floor Tiles, Interior Decoration
Countertops, Decorative Aggregates, Flooring, Homes
Exterior Uses
Garden Decoration, Paving Stone
As Building Stone, As Facing Stone, Garden Decoration, Paving Stone
Other Architectural Uses
Not Yet Used
Curbing
Construction Industry
As Dimension Stone, Building houses or walls, Cement Manufacture, for Road Aggregate, Roadstone
Arrowheads, As Dimension Stone, Cement Manufacture, Construction Aggregate, Cutting Tool, for Road Aggregate, Making natural cement, Production of Glass and Ceramics, Rail Track Ballast, Roadstone
Medical Industry
Not Yet Used
Not Yet Used
Antiquity Uses
Artifacts
Artifacts, Jewellery, Monuments, Sculpture
Commercial Uses
Used in aquariums, Writing Slates
An Oil and Gas Reservoir, As armour rock for sea walls, Cemetery Markers, Commemorative Tablets, In aquifers, Laboratory bench tops, Petroleum reservoirs, Soil Conditioner, Source of Magnesia (MgO), Tombstones, Used in aquariums
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
Generally rough to touch, Is one of the oldest 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
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.
Quartzite forms from sandstone and the mineral quartz being put under extreme heat and pressure.
Mineral Content
Alusite, Amphibole, Biotite, Chlorite, Epidote, Feldspar, Garnet, Graphite, Hornblade, Kyanite, Micas, Muscovite or Illite, Porphyroblasts, Quartz, Sillimanite, Staurolite, Talc
Chlorite, Epidote, Hematite, Kyanite, Magnetite, Muscovite or Illite, Quartz
Compound Content
CaO, Carbon Dioxide, MgO
Aluminium Oxide, CaO, Iron(III) Oxide, MgO, Sodium Oxide, Silicon Dioxide
Types of Metamorphism
Not Applicable
Burial Metamorphism, Cataclastic Metamorphism, Hydrothermal Metamorphism, Regional 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, Water Erosion, Wind Erosion
Grain Size
Medium to Fine Coarse Grained
Medium Grained
Fracture
Conchoidal
Uneven, Splintery or Conchoidal
Porosity
Highly Porous
Less Porous
Compressive Strength
Not Available
Cleavage
Slaty
Indiscernible
Specific Gravity
2.5-2.9
2.6-2.8
Transparency
Opaque
Transparent to Translucent
Density
2.8-2.9 g/cm3
2.32-2.42 g/cm3
Specific Heat Capacity
Not Available
Resistance
Impact Resistant, Pressure Resistant, Water Resistant
Heat Resistant, Impact Resistant, Pressure Resistant, Wear Resistant
Deposits in Eastern Continents
Asia
Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, China, India, Japan, Kazakhstan, Malaysia, Pakistan, Russia, Thailand, Turkey, Vietnam
China, India, Israel, Russia, South Korea, Thailand, Turkey
Africa
Egypt, Ethiopia, Morocco, Nigeria, South Africa
Ethiopia, Morocco, South Africa, Zimbabwe
Europe
Austria, England, France, Georgia, Germany, Italy, Liechtenstein, Monaco, Norway, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland
England, Italy, Norway, Scotland, Sweden, United Kingdom
Others
Not Yet Found
Greenland
Deposits in Western Continents
North America
Canada, Costa Rica, Cuba, Mexico, Panama, USA
Bahamas, Canada, USA
South America
Brazil, Colombia, Guyana
Brazil, Colombia, Venezuela
Deposits in Oceania Continent
Australia
New South Wales, New Zealand, Queensland
New Zealand, Queensland, Western Australia
Schist vs Quartzite 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 Quartzite characteristics assist us to distinguish and recognize rocks. Also you can check about Properties of Schist and Properties of Quartzite. Learn more about Schist vs Quartzite in the next section. The interior uses of Schist include Decorative aggregates, Floor tiles and Interior decoration whereas the interior uses of Quartzite include Countertops, Decorative aggregates, Flooring and Homes. Due to some exceptional properties of Schist and Quartzite, 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 Quartzite include Arrowheads, As dimension stone, Cement manufacture, Construction aggregate, Cutting tool, For road aggregate, Making natural cement, Production of glass and ceramics, Rail track ballast, Roadstone.
More about Schist and Quartzite
Here you can know more about Schist and Quartzite. The life cycle of a rock consists of formation of rock, composition of rock and transformation of rock. The composition of Schist and Quartzite 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 Quartzite includes Chlorite, Epidote, Hematite, Kyanite, Magnetite, Muscovite or Illite, Quartz. You can also check out the list of all Metamorphic Rocks. When we have to compare Schist vs Quartzite, 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, Quartzite is available in black, blue, brown, green, light grey, purple, white, yellow colors. Appearance of Schist is Layered and Shiny and that of Quartzite is Lustrous. Properties of rock is another aspect for Schist vs Quartzite. The hardness of Schist is 3.5-4 and that of Quartzite is 6-7. 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 Quartzite 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 Quartzite is white. The specific heat capacity of Schist is Not Available and that of Quartzite is 0.75 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 Quartzite is heat resistant, impact resistant, pressure resistant, wear resistant.