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
Novaculite is a dense, hard, fine-grained, siliceous metamorpic rock which is a type of chert that breaks with conchoidal fracture
History
Origin
USA, Australia
-
Discoverer
Tornebohm
Unknown
Etymology
From an old Swedish mining term originally used to describe a type of silicate gangue or waste rock.
From Latin word novacula, for razor stone
Class
Metamorphic Rocks
Sedimentary Rocks
Sub-Class
Durable Rock, Hard Rock
Durable Rock, Hard Rock
Family
Group
-
-
Other Categories
Fine Grained Rock, Opaque Rock
Fine Grained Rock, Opaque Rock
Texture
Earthy, Mud-rich, Rough
Banded, Glassy, Rough, Vitreous
Color
Black, Brown, Green, Grey, White
Black, Brown, Green, Grey, Red, White
Maintenance
Less
Less
Durability
Durable
Durable
Water Resistant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Scratch Resistant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Stain Resistant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Wind Resistant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Acid Resistant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Appearance
Dull
Glassy or Pearly
Architecture
Interior Uses
Decorative Aggregates, Entryways, Interior Decoration
Countertops, Decorative Aggregates, Flooring, Interior Decoration
Exterior Uses
As Building Stone, As Facing Stone, Garden Decoration, Paving Stone
As Building Stone, Garden Decoration
Other Architectural Uses
Curbing
Curbing
Industry
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
Arrowheads, Building houses or walls, Cement Manufacture, Construction Aggregate, Cutting Tool, for Road Aggregate, Knives, Landscaping, Making natural cement, Production of Glass and Ceramics, Rail Track Ballast, Roadstone, Spear Points, Used to sharpen metal tools and weapons
Medical Industry
-
-
Antiquity Uses
Artifacts, Monuments, Sculpture
Artifacts, Monuments
Other Uses
Commercial Uses
Creating Artwork, Gemstone, Jewelry, Metallurgical Flux, Source of Magnesia (MgO)
Cemetery Markers, Gemstone, In aquifers, In fire-starting tools, Jewelry, Manufacture of tools, Pebbles are used in ball mills to grind in ceramics industry, To determine the gold content of jewelry
Types
Endoskarns
Sedimentary rock
Features
Host Rock for Lead, Zinc and Copper Deposits
Clasts are smooth to touch, Easily splits into thin plates, Has High structural resistance against erosion and climate
Archaeological Significance
Monuments
-
-
Famous Monuments
-
-
Sculpture
-
-
Famous Sculptures
-
-
Pictographs
-
-
Petroglyphs
-
-
Figurines
-
-
Fossils
Absent
Present
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.
Novaculite forms when microcrystals of silicon dioxide grow within soft sediments that become limestone or chalk. The formation of Novaculite can be either of chemical or biological origin.
Composition
Mineral Content
Calcite, Enstatite, Epidote, Garnet, Magnetite, Pyroxene, Titanite
Quartz, Silicon
Compound Content
Au, CaO, Carbon Dioxide, Cu, Fe, MgO
Ca, Silicon Dioxide
Transformation
Metamorphism
✔
✘
✔
✘
Types of Metamorphism
Burial Metamorphism, Cataclastic Metamorphism, Contact Metamorphism, Hydrothermal Metamorphism, Impact Metamorphism, Regional Metamorphism
-
Weathering
✔
✘
✔
✘
Types of Weathering
-
-
Erosion
✔
✘
✔
✘
Types of Erosion
-
Chemical Erosion, Coastal Erosion, Glacier Erosion
Physical Properties
Hardness
6.57
1
7
👆🏻
Grain Size
Fine Grained
Fine Grained
Fracture
Irregular
Conchoidal
Streak
Light to dark brown
-
Porosity
Less Porous
Less Porous
Luster
Waxy and Dull
Waxy and Dull
Compressive Strength
70.00 N/mm2450.00 N/mm2
0.15
450
👆🏻
Cleavage
Slaty
-
Toughness
2.4
1.5
Specific Gravity
2.862.5-2.7
0
8.4
👆🏻
Transparency
Opaque
Translucent to Opaque
Density
2.8-2.9 g/cm32.7 g/cm3
0
1400
👆🏻
Thermal Properties
Specific Heat Capacity
0.92 kJ/Kg K0.74 kJ/Kg K
0.14
3.2
👆🏻
Resistance
Heat Resistant
Heat Resistant, Impact Resistant, Pressure Resistant, Wear Resistant
Deposits in Eastern Continents
Asia
China, India, Russia, Saudi Arabia, South Korea, Sri Lanka
China, India, Iran, Japan, Oman, Russia, Saudi Arabia, Taiwan, Thailand, Vietnam
Africa
South Africa, Western Africa
Kenya, Morocco, South Africa, Tanzania
Europe
United Kingdom
Austria, France, Greece, Italy, Malta, Poland, Portugal, Serbia, Spain, Sweden, United Kingdom
Others
-
Greenland, Mid-Atlantic Ridge
Deposits in Western Continents
North America
Canada
Canada, Mexico, USA
South America
Brazil, Colombia, Paraguay
Bolivia, Brazil
Deposits in Oceania Continent
Australia
Central Australia, Western Australia
New South Wales, Queensland, South Australia, Western Australia