Definition
Travertine is a mineral consisting of layered calcium carbonate formed by deposition from spring waters
  
Schist is a medium grade metamorphic rock with medium to large, flat, sheet like grains in a preferred orientation
  
History
  
  
Origin
Italy
  
Unknown
  
Discoverer
Marcus Vitruvius Pollio
  
Unknown
  
Etymology
From Italian travertino a kind of building stone, from Tiburs, adjective from Tibur (Tivoli), in Italy
  
From French schiste, Greek skhistos i.e. split
  
Class
Sedimentary Rocks
  
Metamorphic Rocks
  
Sub-Class
Durable Rock, Medium Hardness 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
Banded
  
Foliated, Platy
  
Color
Beige, Black, Blue, Brown, Grey, Red, White, Yellow
  
Black, Blue, Brown, Dark Brown, Green, Grey, Silver
  
Maintenance
Less
  
Less
  
Durability
Durable
  
Durable
  
Water Resistant
Yes
  
Yes
  
Scratch Resistant
Yes
  
No
  
Stain Resistant
Yes
  
No
  
Wind Resistant
Yes
  
No
  
Acid Resistant
Yes
  
No
  
Appearance
Fibrous
  
Layered and Shiny
  
Architecture
  
  
Interior Uses
Decorative Aggregates, Entryways, Flooring, Homes, Interior Decoration
  
Decorative Aggregates, Floor Tiles, Interior Decoration
  
Exterior Uses
As Building Stone, As Facing Stone, Paving Stone, Garden Decoration, Office Buildings
  
Garden Decoration, Paving Stone
  
Other Architectural Uses
Curbing
  
Not Yet Used
  
Industry
  
  
Construction Industry
As Dimension Stone, Building houses or walls, Cement Manufacture, Construction Aggregate, for Road Aggregate, Raw material for the manufacture of mortar
  
As Dimension Stone, Building houses or walls, Cement Manufacture, for Road Aggregate, Roadstone
  
Medical Industry
Not Yet Used
  
Not Yet Used
  
Antiquity Uses
Artifacts, Jewellery, Monuments, Sculpture, Small Figurines
  
Artifacts
  
Other Uses
  
  
Commercial Uses
Cemetery Markers, Creating Artwork, Gemstone, Jewelry, Paper Industry, Pottery
  
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
Stalactites and stalagmites are formed from this rock, Surfaces are often shiny, Very fine grained rock
  
Easily splits into thin plates, Smooth to touch
  
Archaeological Significance
  
  
Monuments
Used
  
Not Yet Used
  
Famous Monuments
Colosseum in Rome, Italy, Sacré Coeur in Paris, France, Trevi Fountain in Rome, Italy
  
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
Present
  
Absent
  
Formation
Travertine is a type of sedimentary rock formed when a river carries or transports pieces of broken rock which then undergo sedimentation. They are then subjected to high temperature and pressure hence forming travertine rock.
  
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
Calcite, Clay, Feldspar, Micas, Quartz
  
Alusite, Amphibole, Biotite, Chlorite, Epidote, Feldspar, Garnet, Graphite, Hornblade, Kyanite, Micas, Muscovite or Illite, Porphyroblasts, Quartz, Sillimanite, Staurolite, Talc
  
Compound Content
Ca, NaCl, CaO, Oxygen
  
CaO, Carbon Dioxide, MgO
  
Transformation
  
  
Metamorphism
No
  
No
  
Types of Metamorphism
Not Applicable
  
Not Applicable
  
Weathering
Yes
  
Yes
  
Types of Weathering
Biological Weathering, Chemical Weathering, Mechanical Weathering
  
Biological Weathering, Chemical Weathering, Mechanical Weathering
  
Erosion
Yes
  
Yes
  
Types of Erosion
Chemical Erosion, Coastal Erosion, Glacier Erosion
  
Chemical Erosion, Coastal Erosion, Glacier Erosion
  
Physical Properties
  
  
Hardness
3-4
  
3.5-4
  
Grain Size
Fine Grained
  
Medium to Fine Coarse Grained
  
Fracture
Splintery
  
Conchoidal
  
Streak
White
  
White
  
Porosity
Highly Porous
  
Highly Porous
  
Luster
Dull to Pearly
  
Shiny
  
Compressive Strength
80.00 N/mm
2
  
23
Not Available
  
Cleavage
Non-Existent
  
Slaty
  
Toughness
1
  
1.5
  
Specific Gravity
1.68
  
2.5-2.9
  
Transparency
Opaque
  
Opaque
  
Density
2.71 g/cm3
  
2.8-2.9 g/cm3
  
Thermal Properties
  
  
Specific Heat Capacity
1.09 kJ/Kg K
  
8
Not Available
  
Resistance
Impact Resistant, Pressure Resistant, Wear Resistant
  
Impact Resistant, Pressure Resistant, Water Resistant
  
Deposits in Eastern Continents
  
  
Asia
China, Russia
  
Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, China, India, Japan, Kazakhstan, Malaysia, Pakistan, Russia, Thailand, Turkey, Vietnam
  
Africa
Not Yet Found
  
Egypt, Ethiopia, Morocco, Nigeria, South Africa
  
Europe
Austria, Italy, Portugal, 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
Argentina, Bolivia, Ecuador
  
Brazil, Colombia, Guyana
  
Deposits in Oceania Continent
  
  
Australia
Not Yet Found
  
New South Wales, New Zealand, Queensland
  
Travertine 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. Travertine vs Schist characteristics assist us to distinguish and recognize rocks. Also you can check about Properties of Travertine and Properties of Schist. Learn more about Travertine vs Schist in the next section. The interior uses of Travertine include Decorative aggregates, Entryways, Flooring, Homes and Interior decoration whereas the interior uses of Schist include Decorative aggregates, Floor tiles and Interior decoration. Due to some exceptional properties of Travertine and Schist, they have various applications in construction industry. The uses of Travertine in construction industry include As dimension stone, Building houses or walls, Cement manufacture, Construction aggregate, For road aggregate, Raw material for the manufacture of mortar and that of Schist include As dimension stone, Building houses or walls, Cement manufacture, For road aggregate, Roadstone.
More about Travertine and Schist
Here you can know more about Travertine and Schist. The life cycle of a rock consists of formation of rock, composition of rock and transformation of rock. The composition of Travertine and Schist consists of mineral content and compound content. The mineral content of Travertine includes Calcite, Clay, Feldspar, Micas, 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 Sedimentary Rocks. When we have to compare Travertine vs Schist, the texture, color and appearance plays an important role in determining the type of rock. Travertine is available in beige, black, blue, brown, grey, red, white, yellow colors whereas, Schist is available in black, blue, brown, dark brown, green, grey, silver colors. Appearance of Travertine is Fibrous and that of Schist is Layered and Shiny. Properties of rock is another aspect for Travertine vs Schist. The hardness of Travertine is 3-4 and that of Schist is 3.5-4. The types of Travertine 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 Travertine and Schist is white. The specific heat capacity of Travertine is 1.09 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.Travertine is impact resistant, pressure resistant, wear resistant whereas Schist is impact resistant, pressure resistant, water resistant.