Definition
It is a metamorphic magnesium rich rock because it is composed of the mineral talc
  
Schist is a medium grade metamorphic rock with medium to large, flat, sheet like grains in a preferred orientation
  
History
  
  
Origin
USA
  
Unknown
  
Discoverer
Unknown
  
Unknown
  
Etymology
From 17th century, because of its greasy feel and use like a soap
  
From French schiste, Greek skhistos i.e. split
  
Class
Metamorphic Rocks
  
Metamorphic Rocks
  
Sub-Class
Durable Rock, Soft Rock
  
Durable Rock, Medium Hardness Rock
  
Family
  
  
Group
Not Applicable
  
Not Applicable
  
Other Categories
Fine Grained Rock, Opaque Rock
  
Coarse Grained Rock, Fine Grained Rock, Medium Grained Rock, Opaque Rock
  
Texture
Polished
  
Foliated, Platy
  
Color
Black, Black to Grey, Green, Grey
  
Black, Blue, Brown, Dark Brown, Green, Grey, Silver
  
Maintenance
Less
  
Less
  
Durability
Durable
  
Durable
  
Water Resistant
Yes
  
Yes
  
Scratch Resistant
No
  
No
  
Stain Resistant
No
  
No
  
Wind Resistant
No
  
No
  
Acid Resistant
No
  
No
  
Appearance
Dull, Banded and Foilated
  
Layered and Shiny
  
Architecture
  
  
Interior Uses
Bathrooms, Decorative Aggregates, Homes, Interior Decoration
  
Decorative Aggregates, Floor Tiles, Interior Decoration
  
Exterior Uses
As Facing Stone, Garden Decoration
  
Garden Decoration, Paving Stone
  
Other Architectural Uses
Curbing
  
Not Yet Used
  
Industry
  
  
Construction Industry
Manufacture of Magnesium and Dolomite Refractories
  
As Dimension Stone, Building houses or walls, Cement Manufacture, for Road Aggregate, Roadstone
  
Medical Industry
Taken as a Supplement for Calcium or Magnesium
  
Not Yet Used
  
Antiquity Uses
Artifacts, Jewellery, Monuments, Sculpture
  
Artifacts
  
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)
  
Used in aquariums, Writing Slates
  
Types
Not Available
  
Mica Schists, Calc-Silicate Schists, Graphite Schists, Blueschists, Whiteschists, Greenschists, Hornblende Schist, Talc Schist, Chlorite Schist, Garnet Schist, Glaucophane schist.
  
Features
Host Rock for Lead
  
Easily splits into thin plates, Smooth to touch
  
Archaeological Significance
  
  
Monuments
Used
  
Not Yet Used
  
Famous Monuments
Christ the Redeemer in Rio de Janeiro, Stonehenge in English county of Wiltshire
  
Not Applicable
  
Sculpture
Used
  
Not Yet Used
  
Famous Sculptures
Data Not Available
  
Not Applicable
  
Pictographs
Used
  
Used
  
Petroglyphs
Used
  
Used
  
Figurines
Used
  
Not Yet Used
  
Fossils
Absent
  
Absent
  
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.
  
Schist formed by dynamic metamorphism at high temperatures and pressures that aligns the grains of mica, hornblende and other elongated minerals into thin layers.
  
Composition
  
  
Mineral Content
Albite, Apatite, Biotite, Calcite, Carbonate, Clay Minerals, Hornblende, Ilmenite, Micas, Plagioclase, Pyroxene, Quartz
  
Alusite, Amphibole, Biotite, Chlorite, Epidote, Feldspar, Garnet, Graphite, Hornblade, Kyanite, Micas, Muscovite or Illite, Porphyroblasts, Quartz, Sillimanite, Staurolite, Talc
  
Compound Content
CaO, Mg, MgO
  
CaO, Carbon Dioxide, MgO
  
Transformation
  
  
Metamorphism
Yes
  
No
  
Types of Metamorphism
Burial Metamorphism, Cataclastic Metamorphism, Contact Metamorphism, Hydrothermal Metamorphism, Impact Metamorphism, Regional Metamorphism
  
Not Applicable
  
Weathering
No
  
Yes
  
Types of Weathering
Not Applicable
  
Biological Weathering, Chemical Weathering, Mechanical Weathering
  
Erosion
No
  
Yes
  
Types of Erosion
Not Applicable
  
Chemical Erosion, Coastal Erosion, Glacier Erosion
  
Physical Properties
  
  
Hardness
1
  
3.5-4
  
Grain Size
Fine Grained
  
Medium to Fine Coarse Grained
  
Fracture
Conchoidal
  
Conchoidal
  
Streak
Black
  
White
  
Porosity
Less Porous
  
Highly Porous
  
Luster
Greasy
  
Shiny
  
Compressive Strength
225.00 N/mm
2
  
7
Not Available
  
Cleavage
Perfect
  
Slaty
  
Toughness
1
  
1.5
  
Specific Gravity
2.86
  
2.5-2.9
  
Transparency
Opaque
  
Opaque
  
Density
2.8-2.9 g/cm3
  
2.8-2.9 g/cm3
  
Thermal Properties
  
  
Specific Heat Capacity
0.88 kJ/Kg K
  
13
Not Available
  
Resistance
Heat Resistant, Pressure Resistant
  
Impact Resistant, Pressure Resistant, Water Resistant
  
Deposits in Eastern Continents
  
  
Asia
China, India, Indonesia, Japan, North Korea, Russia, Saudi Arabia, Singapore, South Korea, Sri Lanka, Tajikistan, Thailand
  
Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, China, India, Japan, Kazakhstan, Malaysia, Pakistan, Russia, Thailand, Turkey, Vietnam
  
Africa
Egypt, Ethiopia, Ghana, South Africa, Western Africa
  
Egypt, Ethiopia, Morocco, Nigeria, South Africa
  
Europe
Austria, England, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, United Kingdom
  
Austria, England, France, Georgia, Germany, Italy, Liechtenstein, Monaco, Norway, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland
  
Others
Not Yet Found
  
Not Yet Found
  
Deposits in Western Continents
  
  
North America
Canada, USA
  
Canada, Costa Rica, Cuba, Mexico, Panama, USA
  
South America
Colombia
  
Brazil, Colombia, Guyana
  
Deposits in Oceania Continent
  
  
Australia
Central Australia, New Zealand, Queensland
  
New South Wales, New Zealand, Queensland
  
Soapstone vs Schist 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 Schist characteristics assist us to distinguish and recognize rocks. Also you can check about Properties of Soapstone and Properties of Schist. Learn more about Soapstone vs Schist in the next section. The interior uses of Soapstone include Bathrooms, Decorative aggregates, Homes and Interior decoration whereas the interior uses of Schist include Decorative aggregates, Floor tiles and Interior decoration. Due to some exceptional properties of Soapstone and Schist, they have various applications in construction industry. The uses of Soapstone in construction industry include Manufacture of magnesium and dolomite refractories and that of Schist include As dimension stone, Building houses or walls, Cement manufacture, For road aggregate, Roadstone.
More about Soapstone and Schist
Here you can know more about Soapstone and Schist. The life cycle of a rock consists of formation of rock, composition of rock and transformation of rock. The composition of Soapstone and Schist 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 Schist includes Alusite, Amphibole, Biotite, Chlorite, Epidote, Feldspar, Garnet, Graphite, Hornblade, Kyanite, Micas, Muscovite or Illite, Porphyroblasts, Quartz, Sillimanite, Staurolite, Talc. You can also check out the list of all Metamorphic Rocks. When we have to compare Soapstone vs Schist, 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, Schist is available in black, blue, brown, dark brown, green, grey, silver colors. Appearance of Soapstone is Dull, Banded and Foilated and that of Schist is Layered and Shiny. Properties of rock is another aspect for Soapstone vs Schist. The hardness of Soapstone is 1 and that of Schist is 3.5-4. The types of Soapstone are Not Available whereas types of Schist are Mica Schists, Calc-Silicate Schists, Graphite Schists, Blueschists, Whiteschists, Greenschists, Hornblende Schist, Talc Schist, Chlorite Schist, Garnet Schist, Glaucophane schist.. 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 Schist is white. The specific heat capacity of Soapstone is 0.88 kJ/Kg K and that of Schist is Not Available. 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 Schist is impact resistant, pressure resistant, water resistant.