Definition
Skarns are formed during regional or contact metamorphism and from a variety of metasomatic processes involving fluids of magmatic, metamorphic, and/or marine origin
Phyllite is a fine-grained metamorphic rock with a well-developed laminar structure, and is intermediate between slate and schist rocks
Discoverer
Tornebohm
Unknown
Etymology
From an old Swedish mining term originally used to describe a type of silicate gangue or waste rock.
From Greek phullon leaf + -ite1
Class
Metamorphic Rocks
Metamorphic Rocks
Sub-Class
Durable Rock, Hard Rock
Durable Rock, Soft Rock
Other Categories
Fine Grained Rock, Opaque Rock
Coarse Grained Rock, Fine Grained Rock, Medium Grained Rock, Opaque Rock
Texture
Earthy, Mud-rich, Rough
Phyllitic Sheen, Slaty
Color
Black, Brown, Green, Grey, White
Black to Grey, Light Greenish Grey
Durability
Durable
Durable
Appearance
Dull
Crinkled or Wavy
Interior Uses
Decorative Aggregates, Entryways, Interior Decoration
Decorative Aggregates, Floor Tiles, Homes, Interior Decoration
Exterior Uses
As Building Stone, As Facing Stone, Garden Decoration, Paving Stone
As Building Stone, As Facing Stone, Garden Decoration
Other Architectural Uses
Curbing
Curbing
Construction Industry
As a Flux in the Production of Steel and Pig Iron, As a Sintering Agent in Steel Industry to process Iron Ore, As Dimension Stone, Gold and Silver production, Manufacture of Magnesium and Dolomite Refractories
As Dimension Stone, Building houses or walls, Cement Manufacture, Construction Aggregate, for Road Aggregate, Raw material for the manufacture of mortar, Roadstone
Antiquity Uses
Artifacts, Monuments, Sculpture
Artifacts, Sculpture
Commercial Uses
Creating Artwork, Gemstone, Jewelry, Metallurgical Flux, Source of Magnesia (MgO)
Cemetery Markers, Commemorative Tablets, Creating Artwork, Writing Slates
Types
Endoskarns
Phyllite
Features
Host Rock for Lead, Zinc and Copper Deposits
Easily splits into thin plates, Is one of the oldest rock, Surfaces are often shiny
Archaeological Significance
Formation
Due to change in environmental conditions, rocks are heated and pressurized deep inside the Earth's surface. Skarn is formed from the extreme heat caused by magma or by the intense collisions and friction of tectonic plates.
Phyllite is a metamorphic rock which is formed by regional metamorphism of argillaceous sediments since their cleavage arose due to deviatoric stress.
Mineral Content
Calcite, Enstatite, Epidote, Garnet, Magnetite, Pyroxene, Titanite
Albite, Alusite, Amphibole, Apatite, Biotite, Chlorite, Epidote, Feldspar, Garnet, Graphite, Hornblade, Kyanite, Micas, Muscovite or Illite, Porphyroblasts, Quartz, Sillimanite, Staurolite, Talc, Zircon
Compound Content
Au, CaO, Carbon Dioxide, Cu, Fe, MgO
CaO, Carbon Dioxide, MgO
Types of Metamorphism
Burial Metamorphism, Cataclastic Metamorphism, Contact Metamorphism, Hydrothermal Metamorphism, Impact Metamorphism, Regional Metamorphism
-
Types of Weathering
-
Biological Weathering, Chemical Weathering, Mechanical Weathering
Types of Erosion
-
Chemical Erosion, Coastal Erosion, Glacier Erosion, Water Erosion, Wind Erosion
Grain Size
Fine Grained
Medium to Fine Coarse Grained
Fracture
Irregular
Conchoidal
Streak
Light to dark brown
White
Porosity
Less Porous
Highly Porous
Luster
Waxy and Dull
Phyllitic
Cleavage
Slaty
Crenulation and Pervasive
Specific Gravity
2.86
2.72-2.73
Transparency
Opaque
Opaque
Density
2.8-2.9 g/cm3
2.18-3.3 g/cm3
Resistance
Heat Resistant
Heat Resistant, Pressure Resistant, Water Resistant
Deposits in Eastern Continents
Asia
China, India, Russia, Saudi Arabia, South Korea, Sri Lanka
Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, China, India, Japan, Kazakhstan, Malaysia, Pakistan, Russia, Thailand, Turkey, Vietnam
Africa
South Africa, Western Africa
Egypt, Ethiopia, Morocco, Nigeria, South Africa
Europe
United Kingdom
Austria, England, France, Georgia, Germany, Italy, Liechtenstein, Monaco, Norway, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland
Deposits in Western Continents
North America
Canada
Canada, Costa Rica, Cuba, Mexico, Panama, USA
South America
Brazil, Colombia, Paraguay
Brazil, Colombia, Guyana
Deposits in Oceania Continent
Australia
Central Australia, Western Australia
New South Wales, New Zealand, Queensland