×

Soapstone
Soapstone

Marble
Marble



ADD
Compare
X
Soapstone
X
Marble

Soapstone vs Marble

Add ⊕

Definition

Definition

It is a metamorphic magnesium rich rock because it is composed of the mineral talc
Marble is a non-foliated metamorphic rock which is composed of recrystallized carbonate which is formed when limestone is exposed to high temperatures and pressures over a long time

History

Origin

USA
Egypt

Discoverer

Unknown
Unknown

Etymology

From 17th century, because of its greasy feel and use like a soap
From the Greek marmaros, shining stone and also from the English word marmoreal meaning marble-like

Class

Metamorphic Rocks
Metamorphic Rocks

Sub-Class

Durable Rock, Soft Rock
Durable Rock, Medium Hardness Rock

Family

Group

-
-

Other Categories

Fine Grained Rock, Opaque Rock
Medium Grained Rock, Opaque Rock

Texture

Texture

Polished
Granular

Color

Black, Black to Grey, Green, Grey
Black, Blue, Brown, Grey, Pink, White

Maintenance

Less
More

Durability

Durable
Durable

Water Resistant

Scratch Resistant

Stain Resistant

Wind Resistant

Acid Resistant

Appearance

Dull, Banded and Foilated
Veined and Shiny

Uses

Architecture

Interior Uses

Bathrooms, Decorative Aggregates, Homes, Interior Decoration
Bathrooms, Countertops, Decorative Aggregates, Entryways, Floor Tiles, Homes, Hotels, Interior Decoration, Kitchens, Stair Treads

Exterior Uses

As Facing Stone, Garden Decoration
As Building Stone, As Facing Stone, Garden Decoration, Office Buildings, Paving Stone

Other Architectural Uses

Curbing
-

Industry

Construction Industry

Manufacture of Magnesium and Dolomite Refractories
As Dimension Stone

Medical Industry

Taken as a Supplement for Calcium or Magnesium
-

Antiquity Uses

Artifacts, Jewellery, Monuments, Sculpture
Artifacts, Jewellery, Monuments, Sculpture, Small Figurines

Other Uses

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, Commemorative Tablets, Creating Artwork, Curling, Laboratory bench tops, Paper Industry, Tombstones, Used in aquariums, Whiting material in toothpaste, paint and paper

Types

Types

Metamorphic rock
Breccia Marble, Carrara Marble, Calacatta marble, Cultured Marble, Polished Marble, Honed Marble, Sand Marble

Features

Host Rock for Lead
Available in Lots of Colors and Patterns, Easily splits into thin plates, Generally rough to touch, Is one of the oldest rock

Archaeological Significance

Monuments

-
-

Famous Monuments

Christ the Redeemer in Rio de Janeiro, Stonehenge in English county of Wiltshire
Al Aqsa Mosque in Jerusalem, Buland Darwaza in Agra, India, Capitol Hill Building, Washington DC, Charminar in Hyderabad, India, Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus in Maharashtra, India, Ephesus in Turkey, Faisal Mosque in Islamabad, Pakistan, Humayun's Tomb in Delhi, India, Jama Masjid in Delhi, India, Lotus Temple in New Delhi, India, Louvre in Paris, France, Mysore Palace in Karnataka, India, Neuschwanstein in Bavaria, Palace of Parliament in Bucharest, Romania, Parthenon in Greece, Potala Palace in Lahasa, Tibet, Prophet’s Mosque in Medina, Qutb Minar in India, Saint Basil's Cathedral in Moscow, Russia, St. Peter’s Cathedral in Vatican City, Taj Mahal in Agra, India, Tower of Pisa, Italy, Victoria Memorial in Kolkata, India, Washington Monument, US

Sculpture

-
-

Famous Sculptures

-
Ajanta Caves in Maharashtra, India, Bust of Artemis, Elephanta Caves in Maharashtra, India, Lincoln Memorial in America

Pictographs

-
-

Petroglyphs

-
-

Figurines

-
-

Fossils

Absent
Absent

Formation

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.
Marble is a metamorphic rock produced from limestone in the earth crust. It is formed by the metamorphism of limestone.

Composition

Mineral Content

Albite, Apatite, Biotite, Calcite, Carbonate, Clay Minerals, Hornblende, Ilmenite, Micas, Plagioclase, Pyroxene, Quartz
Garnet, Graphite, Olivine, Pyrite, Quartz

Compound Content

CaO, Mg, MgO
CaO, Iron(III) Oxide, FeO, MgO, Silicon Dioxide

Transformation

Metamorphism

Types of Metamorphism

Burial Metamorphism, Cataclastic Metamorphism, Contact Metamorphism, Hydrothermal Metamorphism, Impact Metamorphism, Regional Metamorphism
Impact Metamorphism

Weathering

Types of Weathering

-
Biological Weathering, Chemical Weathering, Mechanical Weathering

Erosion

Types of Erosion

-
Chemical Erosion, Coastal Erosion

Properties

Physical Properties

Hardness

13-4
1 7
👆🏻

Grain Size

Fine Grained
Medium Grained

Fracture

Conchoidal
-

Streak

Black
White

Porosity

Less Porous
Less Porous

Luster

Greasy
Dull to Pearly to Subvitreous

Compressive Strength

225.00 N/mm2115.00 N/mm2
0.15 450
👆🏻

Cleavage

Perfect
Perfect

Toughness

1
-

Specific Gravity

2.862.86-2.87
0 8.4
👆🏻

Transparency

Opaque
Opaque

Density

2.8-2.9 g/cm32.4-2.7 g/cm3
0 1400
👆🏻

Thermal Properties

Specific Heat Capacity

0.88 kJ/Kg K0.88 kJ/Kg K
0.14 3.2
👆🏻

Resistance

Heat Resistant, Pressure Resistant
Heat Resistant

Reserves

Deposits in Eastern Continents

Asia

China, India, Indonesia, Japan, North Korea, Russia, Saudi Arabia, Singapore, South Korea, Sri Lanka, Tajikistan, Thailand
China, India

Africa

Egypt, Ethiopia, Ghana, South Africa, Western Africa
Namibia

Europe

Austria, England, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, United Kingdom
Italy, Spain

Others

-
-

Deposits in Western Continents

North America

Canada, USA
-

South America

Colombia
-

Deposits in Oceania Continent

Australia

Central Australia, New Zealand, Queensland
New South Wales, New Zealand, Queensland, Victoria

Soapstone vs Marble Information

Earth’s outer layer is covered by rocks and these rocks have different physical and chemical properties. As two rocks are not same, it’s fun to compare them. You can also know more about Soapstone and Marble Reserves. It is a metamorphic magnesium rich rock because it is composed of the mineral talc. Marble is a non-foliated metamorphic rock which is composed of recrystallized carbonate which is formed when limestone is exposed to high temperatures and pressures over a long time. These rocks are composed of many distinct minerals. The process of formation of rocks is different for various rocks. Rocks are quarried from many years for various purposes. You can check out Soapstone vs Marble information and Soapstone vs Marble characteristics in the upcoming sections.

Soapstone vs Marble 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 Marble characteristics assist us to distinguish and recognize rocks. Also you can check about Properties of Soapstone and Properties of Marble. Learn more about Soapstone vs Marble in the next section. The interior uses of Soapstone include Bathrooms, Decorative aggregates, Homes and Interior decoration whereas the interior uses of Marble include Bathrooms, Countertops, Decorative aggregates, Entryways, Floor tiles, Homes, Hotels, Interior decoration, Kitchens and Stair treads. Due to some exceptional properties of Soapstone and Marble, they have various applications in construction industry. The uses of Soapstone in construction industry include Manufacture of magnesium and dolomite refractories and that of Marble include As dimension stone.

More about Soapstone and Marble

Here you can know more about Soapstone and Marble. The life cycle of a rock consists of formation of rock, composition of rock and transformation of rock. The composition of Soapstone and Marble 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 Marble includes Garnet, Graphite, Olivine, Pyrite, Quartz. You can also check out the list of all Metamorphic Rocks. When we have to compare Soapstone vs Marble, 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, Marble is available in black, blue, brown, grey, pink, white colors. Appearance of Soapstone is Dull, Banded and Foilated and that of Marble is Veined and Shiny. Properties of rock is another aspect for Soapstone vs Marble. The hardness of Soapstone is 1 and that of Marble is 3-4. The types of Soapstone are Metamorphic rock whereas types of Marble are Breccia Marble, Carrara Marble, Calacatta marble, Cultured Marble, Polished Marble, Honed Marble, Sand Marble. 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 Marble is white. The specific heat capacity of Soapstone is 0.88 kJ/Kg K and that of Marble is 0.88 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 Marble is heat resistant.