Definition
Websterite is ultramafic and ultrabasic rock that consists of roughly equal proportions of orthopyroxene and clinopyroxene. It is a special type of pyroxenite.
  
Nepheline Syenite is a holocrystalline plutonic rock resembling syenite but containing nepheline and lacking quartz
  
History
  
  
Origin
Webster, North Carolina
  
Unknown
  
Discoverer
Unknown
  
Unknown
  
Etymology
From the town of Webster located in North Carolina
  
From origin of a Palaeozoic nepheline syenite from northern Shanxi Province, China
  
Class
Igneous Rocks
  
Igneous Rocks
  
Sub-Class
Durable Rock, Hard Rock
  
Durable Rock, Medium Hardness Rock
  
Family
  
  
Group
Plutonic
  
Plutonic
  
Other Categories
Coarse Grained Rock, Opaque Rock
  
Fine Grained Rock, Opaque Rock
  
Texture
Clastic, Granular, Phaneritic, Porphyritic
  
Granular
  
Color
Black to Grey, Bluish - Grey, Dark Greenish - Grey, Green, Light Greenish Grey
  
Brown, Buff, Cream, Green, Grey, Pink, White
  
Maintenance
Less
  
Less
  
Durability
Durable
  
Durable
  
Water Resistant
Yes
  
Yes
  
Scratch Resistant
Yes
  
No
  
Stain Resistant
Yes
  
Yes
  
Wind Resistant
Yes
  
Yes
  
Acid Resistant
Yes
  
Yes
  
Appearance
Layered, Banded, Veined and Shiny
  
Banded and Foilated
  
Architecture
  
  
Interior Uses
Countertops, Decorative Aggregates, Entryways, Floor Tiles, Flooring, Interior Decoration
  
Countertops, Decorative Aggregates, Flooring, Homes, Interior Decoration
  
Exterior Uses
As Building Stone, As Facing Stone, Garden Decoration, Paving Stone
  
As Building Stone, As Facing Stone, Garden Decoration, Paving Stone
  
Other Architectural Uses
Curbing
  
Curbing
  
Industry
  
  
Construction Industry
As Dimension Stone, Building houses or walls, Cement Manufacture, Construction Aggregate, for Road Aggregate
  
As Dimension Stone, Cement Manufacture, Construction Aggregate, for Road Aggregate, Landscaping, Making natural cement, Manufacture of Magnesium and Dolomite Refractories, Production of Glass and Ceramics
  
Medical Industry
Not Yet Used
  
Not Yet Used
  
Antiquity Uses
Artifacts
  
Artifacts, Monuments, Sculpture
  
Other Uses
  
  
Commercial Uses
Cemetery Markers, Commemorative Tablets, Creating Artwork, Laboratory bench tops, Jewelry, Sea Defence, Tombstones
  
Cemetery Markers, Creating Artwork
  
Types
Not Available
  
Borolanite and Litchfieldite
  
Features
Generally rough to touch, Is one of the oldest rock
  
Application of acids on the surface causes cloudy frosting, Available in Lots of Colors and Patterns, Dissolves in hydrochloric acid, Is one of the oldest rock
  
Archaeological Significance
  
  
Monuments
Not Yet Used
  
Used
  
Famous Monuments
Data Not Available
  
Data Not Available
  
Sculpture
Not Yet Used
  
Used
  
Famous Sculptures
Data Not Available
  
Data Not Available
  
Pictographs
Not Used
  
Used
  
Petroglyphs
Not Used
  
Used
  
Figurines
Not Yet Used
  
Used
  
Fossils
Absent
  
Absent
  
Formation
Websterite can be formed as cumulates in ultramafic intrusions by accumulation of pyroxene crystals at the base of the lava chamber.
  
Nepheline Syenites are formed due to alkaline igneous activities and are generally formed in thick continental crustal areas or in Cordilleran subduction zones.
  
Composition
  
  
Mineral Content
Amphibole, Augite, Bronzite, Chromite, Diopside, Enstatite, Garnet, Hornblende, Hypersthene, Magnetite, Pyroxene
  
Albite, Amphibole, Biotite, Cancrinite, Feldspar, Hornblende, Plagioclase, Pyroxene, Sodalite
  
Compound Content
Aluminium Oxide, CaO, Chromium(III) Oxide, Iron(III) Oxide, Potassium Oxide, MgO, Sodium Oxide, Silicon Dioxide, Sulfur Trioxide
  
Aluminium Oxide, CaO, Iron(III) Oxide, FeO, Potassium Oxide, MgO, MnO, Sodium Oxide, Phosphorus Pentoxide, Silicon Dioxide, Titanium Dioxide
  
Transformation
  
  
Metamorphism
Yes
  
Yes
  
Types of Metamorphism
Burial Metamorphism, Impact Metamorphism
  
Burial Metamorphism, Impact Metamorphism
  
Weathering
Yes
  
Yes
  
Types of Weathering
Biological Weathering, Chemical Weathering, Mechanical Weathering
  
Biological Weathering, Chemical Weathering
  
Erosion
Yes
  
Yes
  
Types of Erosion
Chemical Erosion, Coastal Erosion, Glacier Erosion, Water Erosion, Wind Erosion
  
Chemical Erosion
  
Physical Properties
  
  
Hardness
7
  
5.5-6
  
Grain Size
Coarse Grained
  
Fine Grained
  
Fracture
Uneven
  
Conchoidal to Uneven
  
Streak
White, Greenish White or Grey
  
White
  
Porosity
Less Porous
  
Less Porous
  
Luster
Dull to Vitreous to Submetallic
  
Greasy to Dull
  
Compressive Strength
Not Available
  
150.00 N/mm
2
  
14
Cleavage
Irregular
  
Poor
  
Toughness
Not Available
  
Not Available
  
Specific Gravity
3.2-3.5
  
2.6
  
Transparency
Opaque
  
Translucent to Opaque
  
Density
3.1-3.6 g/cm3
  
2.6 g/cm3
  
Thermal Properties
  
  
Resistance
Impact Resistant, Pressure Resistant, Wear Resistant
  
Heat Resistant, Impact Resistant, Wear Resistant
  
Deposits in Eastern Continents
  
  
Asia
India, Russia
  
Indonesia, Iran, Russia, Saudi Arabia, Sri Lanka, Taiwan, Thailand, Turkey, Turkmenistan, Vietnam
  
Africa
South Africa
  
Angola, Egypt, Madagascar, Namibia, Nigeria, South Africa
  
Europe
Germany, Greece, Italy, Scotland, Turkey
  
Andorra, Finland, France, Great Britain, Italy, Norway, Portugal, Spain, Sweden
  
Others
Greenland
  
Greenland
  
Deposits in Western Continents
  
  
North America
Canada, USA
  
Canada, USA
  
South America
Brazil, Colombia, Venezuela
  
Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Uruguay, Venezuela
  
Deposits in Oceania Continent
  
  
Australia
New Zealand, Queensland
  
New Zealand, Queensland, South Australia, Tasmania, Western Australia