Definition
It is a metamorphic magnesium rich rock because it is composed of the mineral talc
Conglomerate is a sedimentary rock which forms from rounded gravel and boulder sized clasts which are cemented together in a matrix
Discoverer
Unknown
Unknown
Etymology
From 17th century, because of its greasy feel and use like a soap
From Latin conglomeratus, to roll together, i.e. from com together + glomerare to gather into a ball, from glomus (genitive glomeris) a ball
Class
Metamorphic Rocks
Sedimentary Rocks
Sub-Class
Durable Rock, Soft Rock
Durable Rock, Soft Rock
Group
Not Applicable
Not Applicable
Other Categories
Fine Grained Rock, Opaque Rock
Coarse Grained Rock, Opaque Rock
Color
Black, Black to Grey, Green, Grey
Beige, Black, Brown, Buff, Light to Dark Grey, Orange, Rust, White, Yellow
Durability
Durable
Durable
Appearance
Dull, Banded and Foilated
Shiny and Rounded
Interior Uses
Bathrooms, Decorative Aggregates, Homes, Interior Decoration
Decorative Aggregates, Floor Tiles, Homes
Exterior Uses
As Facing Stone, Garden Decoration
As Building Stone, As Facing Stone, Garden Decoration, Office Buildings, Roof Tiles
Other Architectural Uses
Curbing
Curbing
Construction Industry
Manufacture of Magnesium and Dolomite Refractories
As Dimension Stone, Cement Manufacture, Construction Aggregate, for Road Aggregate, Roadstone
Medical Industry
Taken as a Supplement for Calcium or Magnesium
Not Yet Used
Antiquity Uses
Artifacts, Jewellery, Monuments, Sculpture
Artifacts, Monuments, Sculpture, Small Figurines
Commercial Uses
Cemetery Markers, Creating Artwork, Gemstone, Jewelry, Manufacture of Soap, Solvents, Dyes, Plastics and Fibres, Production of Lime, Source of Magnesia (MgO)
Cemetery Markers, In aquifers, Tombstones
Types
Not Available
Not Available
Features
Host Rock for Lead
Clasts are smooth to touch, Is one of the oldest rock, Matrix variable
Archaeological Significance
Famous Monuments
Christ the Redeemer in Rio de Janeiro, Stonehenge in English county of Wiltshire
Data Not Available
Famous Sculptures
Data Not Available
Data Not Available
Formation
Soapstone is a talc-schist, which is a type of metamorphic rock and it is largely composed of the mineral talc and is thus rich inmagnesium.
Conglomerate forms where sediments consisting mainly of pebble and cobble-size clasts at least two millimeters in diameter starts accumulating.
Mineral Content
Albite, Apatite, Biotite, Calcite, Carbonate, Clay Minerals, Hornblende, Ilmenite, Micas, Plagioclase, Pyroxene, Quartz
Clay, Sand, Silica, Silt
Compound Content
CaO, Mg, MgO
NaCl, CaO
Types of Metamorphism
Burial Metamorphism, Cataclastic Metamorphism, Contact Metamorphism, Hydrothermal Metamorphism, Impact Metamorphism, Regional Metamorphism
Burial Metamorphism, Cataclastic Metamorphism, Regional Metamorphism
Types of Weathering
Not Applicable
Not Applicable
Types of Erosion
Not Applicable
Chemical Erosion, Coastal Erosion
Grain Size
Fine Grained
Coarse Grained
Fracture
Conchoidal
Uneven
Porosity
Less Porous
Highly Porous
Compressive Strength
Not Available
Cleavage
Perfect
Non-Existent
Toughness
1
Not Available
Specific Gravity
2.86
2.86-2.88
Transparency
Opaque
Opaque
Density
2.8-2.9 g/cm3
1.7-2.3 g/cm3
Resistance
Heat Resistant, Pressure Resistant
Heat Resistant
Deposits in Eastern Continents
Asia
China, India, Indonesia, Japan, North Korea, Russia, Saudi Arabia, Singapore, South Korea, Sri Lanka, Tajikistan, Thailand
China, India, Kazakhstan, Mongolia, Russia, Uzbekistan
Africa
Egypt, Ethiopia, Ghana, South Africa, Western Africa
Namibia, Nigeria, South Africa
Europe
Austria, England, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, United Kingdom
Austria, Denmark, Germany, Great Britain, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Sweden, Switzerland, United Kingdom
Others
Not Yet Found
Greenland
Deposits in Western Continents
North America
Canada, USA
Canada, USA
South America
Colombia
Brazil
Deposits in Oceania Continent
Australia
Central Australia, New Zealand, Queensland
New South Wales, New Zealand
All about Soapstone and Conglomerate Properties
Know all about Soapstone and Conglomerate properties here. All properties of rocks are important as they define the type of rock and its application. Soapstone belongs to Metamorphic Rocks while Conglomerate belongs to Sedimentary Rocks.Texture of Soapstone is Polished whereas that of Conglomerate is Clastic. Soapstone appears Dull, Banded and Foilated and Conglomerate appears Shiny and Rounded. The luster of Soapstone is greasy while that of Conglomerate is dull. Soapstone is available in black, black to grey, green, grey colors whereas Conglomerate is available in beige, black, brown, buff, light to dark grey, orange, rust, white, yellow colors. The commercial uses of Soapstone are cemetery markers, creating artwork, gemstone, jewelry, manufacture of soap, solvents, dyes, plastics and fibres, production of lime, source of magnesia (mgo) and that of Conglomerate are cemetery markers, in aquifers, tombstones.