Definition
It is a metamorphic magnesium rich rock because it is composed of the mineral talc
Gritstone or grit is a hard, coarse-grained, siliceous sandstone
Origin
USA
Pennines, England
Discoverer
Unknown
J.J. Ferber
Etymology
From 17th century, because of its greasy feel and use like a soap
From Grit + Stone
Class
Metamorphic Rocks
Sedimentary Rocks
Sub-Class
Durable Rock, Soft Rock
Durable Rock, Hard 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, Colourless, Cream, Dark Brown, Green, Grey, Light Green, Light to Dark Grey, Pink, Red, White, Yellow
Durability
Durable
Durable
Appearance
Dull, Banded and Foilated
Layered and Foliated
Interior Uses
Bathrooms, Decorative Aggregates, Homes, Interior Decoration
Countertops, Decorative Aggregates, Homes, Interior Decoration
Exterior Uses
As Facing Stone, Garden Decoration
As Building Stone, Garden Decoration, Office Buildings, Paving Stone
Other Architectural Uses
Curbing
Curbing
Construction Industry
Manufacture of Magnesium and Dolomite Refractories
Construction Aggregate, Roadstone
Medical Industry
Taken as a Supplement for Calcium or Magnesium
Not Yet Used
Antiquity Uses
Artifacts, Jewellery, Monuments, Sculpture
Artifacts, Monuments, Sculpture
Commercial Uses
Cemetery Markers, Creating Artwork, Gemstone, Jewelry, Manufacture of Soap, Solvents, Dyes, Plastics and Fibres, Production of Lime, Source of Magnesia (MgO)
An Oil and Gas Reservoir, As a Feed Additive for Livestock, Gemstone, Metallurgical Flux, Production of Lime, Soil Conditioner, Source of Magnesia (MgO), Tombstones
Types
Not Available
Not Available
Features
Host Rock for Lead
Available in Lots of Colors and Patterns, Generally rough to touch, Very fine grained rock
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
Pictographs
Used
Not Used
Petroglyphs
Used
Not Used
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.
Gritstone is a type of sedimentary rock which was formed on the floors of wide river deltas where the grit deposits were laid down, with every tide or flood dumping another layer of sediment.
Mineral Content
Albite, Apatite, Biotite, Calcite, Carbonate, Clay Minerals, Hornblende, Ilmenite, Micas, Plagioclase, Pyroxene, Quartz
Calcite, Clay Minerals, Feldspar, Micas, Quartz
Compound Content
CaO, Mg, MgO
Aluminium Oxide, CaO, Iron(III) Oxide, Potassium Oxide, MgO, Sodium Oxide, Silicon Dioxide
Types of Metamorphism
Burial Metamorphism, Cataclastic Metamorphism, Contact Metamorphism, Hydrothermal Metamorphism, Impact Metamorphism, Regional Metamorphism
Not Applicable
Types of Weathering
Not Applicable
Biological Weathering, Chemical Weathering, Mechanical Weathering
Types of Erosion
Not Applicable
Chemical Erosion, Coastal Erosion
Grain Size
Fine Grained
Coarse Grained
Fracture
Conchoidal
Conchoidal
Porosity
Less Porous
Highly Porous
Toughness
1
Not Available
Specific Gravity
2.86
2.250
Transparency
Opaque
Opaque
Density
2.8-2.9 g/cm3
2.2 g/cm3
Resistance
Heat Resistant, Pressure Resistant
Heat Resistant, Impact Resistant, Pressure 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, 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, Western Australia
Soapstone vs Gritstone 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. Soapstone vs Gritstone characteristics assist us to distinguish and recognize rocks. Also you can check about Properties of Soapstone and Properties of Gritstone. Learn more about Soapstone vs Gritstone in the next section. The interior uses of Soapstone include Bathrooms, Decorative aggregates, Homes and Interior decoration whereas the interior uses of Gritstone include Countertops, Decorative aggregates, Homes and Interior decoration. Due to some exceptional properties of Soapstone and Gritstone, they have various applications in construction industry. The uses of Soapstone in construction industry include Manufacture of magnesium and dolomite refractories and that of Gritstone include Construction aggregate, Roadstone.
More about Soapstone and Gritstone
Here you can know more about Soapstone and Gritstone. The life cycle of a rock consists of formation of rock, composition of rock and transformation of rock. The composition of Soapstone and Gritstone consists of mineral content and compound content. The mineral content of Soapstone includes Albite, Apatite, Biotite, Calcite, Carbonate, Clay Minerals, Hornblende, Ilmenite, Micas, Plagioclase, Pyroxene, Quartz and mineral content of Gritstone includes Calcite, Clay Minerals, Feldspar, Micas, Quartz. You can also check out the list of all Metamorphic Rocks. When we have to compare Soapstone vs Gritstone, the texture, color and appearance plays an important role in determining the type of rock. Soapstone is available in black, black to grey, green, grey colors whereas, Gritstone is available in beige, black, brown, colourless, cream, dark brown, green, grey, light green, light to dark grey, pink, red, white, yellow colors. Appearance of Soapstone is Dull, Banded and Foilated and that of Gritstone is Layered and Foliated. Properties of rock is another aspect for Soapstone vs Gritstone. The hardness of Soapstone is 1 and that of Gritstone is 6-7. The types of Soapstone are Not Available whereas types of Gritstone are Not Available. Streak of rock is the color of powder produced when it is dragged across an unweathered surface. The streak of Soapstone is black while that of Gritstone is white. The specific heat capacity of Soapstone is 0.88 kJ/Kg K and that of Gritstone 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.Soapstone is heat resistant, pressure resistant whereas Gritstone is heat resistant, impact resistant, pressure resistant.