Definition
Travertine is a mineral consisting of layered calcium carbonate formed by deposition from spring waters
  
Tephrite is an aphanitic to porphyritic textured, volcanic igneous rock
  
History
  
  
Origin
Italy
  
Germany
  
Discoverer
Marcus Vitruvius Pollio
  
Van Tooren
  
Etymology
From Italian travertino a kind of building stone, from Tiburs, adjective from Tibur (Tivoli), in Italy
  
From Greek tephra, ashes from Indo-European base, to burn
  
Class
Sedimentary Rocks
  
Igneous Rocks
  
Sub-Class
Durable Rock, Medium Hardness Rock
  
Durable Rock, Hard Rock
  
Family
  
  
Group
Not Applicable
  
Volcanic
  
Other Categories
Fine Grained Rock, Opaque Rock
  
Coarse Grained Rock, Fine Grained Rock, Medium Grained Rock, Opaque Rock
  
Texture
Banded
  
Aphanitic to Porphyritic
  
Color
Beige, Black, Blue, Brown, Grey, Red, White, Yellow
  
Black, Brown, Colourless, Green, Grey, White
  
Maintenance
Less
  
Less
  
Durability
Durable
  
Durable
  
Water Resistant
Yes
  
Yes
  
Scratch Resistant
Yes
  
Yes
  
Stain Resistant
Yes
  
No
  
Wind Resistant
Yes
  
Yes
  
Acid Resistant
Yes
  
No
  
Appearance
Fibrous
  
Vesicular
  
Architecture
  
  
Interior Uses
Decorative Aggregates, Entryways, Flooring, Homes, Interior Decoration
  
Decorative Aggregates, Flooring, Homes, Interior Decoration
  
Exterior Uses
As Building Stone, As Facing Stone, Paving Stone, Garden Decoration, Office Buildings
  
As Building Stone, As Facing Stone, Garden Decoration, Office Buildings
  
Other Architectural Uses
Curbing
  
Curbing
  
Industry
  
  
Construction Industry
As Dimension Stone, Building houses or walls, Cement Manufacture, Construction Aggregate, for Road Aggregate, Raw material for the manufacture of mortar
  
Landscaping
  
Medical Industry
Not Yet Used
  
Not Yet Used
  
Antiquity Uses
Artifacts, Jewellery, Monuments, Sculpture, Small Figurines
  
Artifacts, Sculpture
  
Other Uses
  
  
Commercial Uses
Cemetery Markers, Creating Artwork, Gemstone, Jewelry, Paper Industry, Pottery
  
Production of Lime, Soil Conditioner
  
Types
Not Available
  
Not Available
  
Features
Stalactites and stalagmites are formed from this rock, Surfaces are often shiny, Very fine grained rock
  
Host Rock for Lead
  
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
  
Used
  
Famous Sculptures
Data Not Available
  
Data Not Available
  
Pictographs
Used
  
Not Used
  
Petroglyphs
Used
  
Not Used
  
Figurines
Used
  
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.
  
Tephrite is a fine-grained, hard rock which is a type of metasomatite, essentially altered basalt. It forms with or without crystallization, either below the surface as intrusive rocks or on the surface as extrusive rocks.
  
Composition
  
  
Mineral Content
Calcite, Clay, Feldspar, Micas, Quartz
  
Alkali feldspar, Nepheline, Plagioclase, Pyroxene
  
Compound Content
Ca, NaCl, CaO, Oxygen
  
CaO, Carbon Dioxide, MgO, Silicon Dioxide
  
Transformation
  
  
Metamorphism
No
  
Yes
  
Types of Metamorphism
Not Applicable
  
Cataclastic Metamorphism, Contact Metamorphism, Impact Metamorphism, Regional Metamorphism
  
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, Sea Erosion, Water Erosion
  
Physical Properties
  
  
Hardness
3-4
  
6.5
  
Grain Size
Fine Grained
  
Medium to Fine Coarse Grained
  
Fracture
Splintery
  
Uneven
  
Streak
White
  
Bluish Black
  
Porosity
Highly Porous
  
Very Less Porous
  
Luster
Dull to Pearly
  
Subvitreous to Dull
  
Compressive Strength
80.00 N/mm2
  
23
90.00 N/mm2
  
22
Cleavage
Non-Existent
  
Crenulation and Pervasive
  
Toughness
1
  
2.4
  
Specific Gravity
1.68
  
2.86
  
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
0.92 kJ/Kg K
  
10
Resistance
Impact Resistant, Pressure Resistant, Wear Resistant
  
Heat Resistant, Impact Resistant
  
Deposits in Eastern Continents
  
  
Asia
China, Russia
  
Not Yet Found
  
Africa
Not Yet Found
  
Namibia, Uganda
  
Europe
Austria, Italy, Portugal, United Kingdom
  
Germany, Hungary, Italy, Portugal, Spain
  
Others
Not Yet Found
  
Not Yet Found
  
Deposits in Western Continents
  
  
North America
Canada, USA
  
USA
  
South America
Argentina, Bolivia, Ecuador
  
Not Yet Found
  
Deposits in Oceania Continent
  
  
Australia
Not Yet Found
  
New Zealand, Western Australia
  
Travertine vs Tephrite 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 Tephrite characteristics assist us to distinguish and recognize rocks. Also you can check about Properties of Travertine and Properties of Tephrite. Learn more about Travertine vs Tephrite in the next section. The interior uses of Travertine include Decorative aggregates, Entryways, Flooring, Homes and Interior decoration whereas the interior uses of Tephrite include Decorative aggregates, Flooring, Homes and Interior decoration. Due to some exceptional properties of Travertine and Tephrite, 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 Tephrite include Landscaping.
More about Travertine and Tephrite
Here you can know more about Travertine and Tephrite. The life cycle of a rock consists of formation of rock, composition of rock and transformation of rock. The composition of Travertine and Tephrite consists of mineral content and compound content. The mineral content of Travertine includes Calcite, Clay, Feldspar, Micas, Quartz and mineral content of Tephrite includes Alkali feldspar, Nepheline, Plagioclase, Pyroxene. You can also check out the list of all Sedimentary Rocks. When we have to compare Travertine vs Tephrite, 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, Tephrite is available in black, brown, colourless, green, grey, white colors. Appearance of Travertine is Fibrous and that of Tephrite is Vesicular. Properties of rock is another aspect for Travertine vs Tephrite. The hardness of Travertine is 3-4 and that of Tephrite is 6.5. The types of Travertine are Not Available whereas types of Tephrite are Not Available. Streak of rock is the color of powder produced when it is dragged across an unweathered surface. The streak of Travertine is white while that of Tephrite is bluish black. The specific heat capacity of Travertine is 1.09 kJ/Kg K and that of Tephrite 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.Travertine is impact resistant, pressure resistant, wear resistant whereas Tephrite is heat resistant, impact resistant.