Definition
Websterite is ultramafic and ultrabasic rock that consists of roughly equal proportions of orthopyroxene and clinopyroxene. It is a special type of pyroxenite.
  
Novaculite is a dense, hard, fine-grained, siliceous metamorpic rock which is a type of chert that breaks with conchoidal fracture
  
History
  
  
Origin
Webster, North Carolina
  
Unknown
  
Discoverer
Unknown
  
Unknown
  
Etymology
From the town of Webster located in North Carolina
  
From Latin word novacula, for razor stone
  
Class
Igneous Rocks
  
Sedimentary Rocks
  
Sub-Class
Durable Rock, Hard Rock
  
Durable Rock, Hard Rock
  
Family
  
  
Group
Plutonic
  
Not Applicable
  
Other Categories
Coarse Grained Rock, Opaque Rock
  
Fine Grained Rock, Opaque Rock
  
Texture
Clastic, Granular, Phaneritic, Porphyritic
  
Banded, Glassy, Rough, Vitreous
  
Color
Black to Grey, Bluish - Grey, Dark Greenish - Grey, Green, Light Greenish Grey
  
Black, Brown, Green, Grey, Red, White
  
Maintenance
Less
  
Less
  
Durability
Durable
  
Durable
  
Water Resistant
Yes
  
Yes
  
Scratch Resistant
Yes
  
Yes
  
Stain Resistant
Yes
  
Yes
  
Wind Resistant
Yes
  
Yes
  
Acid Resistant
Yes
  
Yes
  
Appearance
Layered, Banded, Veined and Shiny
  
Glassy or Pearly
  
Architecture
  
  
Interior Uses
Countertops, Decorative Aggregates, Entryways, Floor Tiles, Flooring, Interior Decoration
  
Countertops, Decorative Aggregates, Flooring, Interior Decoration
  
Exterior Uses
As Building Stone, As Facing Stone, Garden Decoration, Paving Stone
  
As Building Stone, Garden Decoration
  
Other Architectural Uses
Curbing
  
Curbing
  
Industry
  
  
Construction Industry
As Dimension Stone, Building houses or walls, Cement Manufacture, Construction Aggregate, for Road Aggregate
  
Arrowheads, Building houses or walls, Cement Manufacture, Construction Aggregate, Cutting Tool, for Road Aggregate, Knives, Landscaping, Making natural cement, Production of Glass and Ceramics, Rail Track Ballast, Roadstone, Spear Points, Used to sharpen metal tools and weapons
  
Medical Industry
Not Yet Used
  
Not Yet Used
  
Antiquity Uses
Artifacts
  
Artifacts, Monuments
  
Other Uses
  
  
Commercial Uses
Cemetery Markers, Commemorative Tablets, Creating Artwork, Laboratory bench tops, Jewelry, Sea Defence, Tombstones
  
Cemetery Markers, Gemstone, In aquifers, In fire-starting tools, Jewelry, Manufacture of tools, Pebbles are used in ball mills to grind in ceramics industry, To determine the gold content of jewelry
  
Types
Not Available
  
Not Available
  
Features
Generally rough to touch, Is one of the oldest rock
  
Clasts are smooth to touch, Easily splits into thin plates, Has High structural resistance against erosion and climate
  
Archaeological Significance
  
  
Monuments
Not Yet Used
  
Used
  
Famous Monuments
Data Not Available
  
Data Not Available
  
Sculpture
Not Yet Used
  
Not Yet Used
  
Famous Sculptures
Data Not Available
  
Not Applicable
  
Pictographs
Not Used
  
Not Used
  
Petroglyphs
Not Used
  
Not Used
  
Figurines
Not Yet Used
  
Not Yet Used
  
Fossils
Absent
  
Present
  
Formation
Websterite can be formed as cumulates in ultramafic intrusions by accumulation of pyroxene crystals at the base of the lava chamber.
  
Novaculite forms when microcrystals of silicon dioxide grow within soft sediments that become limestone or chalk. The formation of Novaculite can be either of chemical or biological origin.
  
Composition
  
  
Mineral Content
Amphibole, Augite, Bronzite, Chromite, Diopside, Enstatite, Garnet, Hornblende, Hypersthene, Magnetite, Pyroxene
  
Quartz, Silicon
  
Compound Content
Aluminium Oxide, CaO, Chromium(III) Oxide, Iron(III) Oxide, Potassium Oxide, MgO, Sodium Oxide, Silicon Dioxide, Sulfur Trioxide
  
Ca, Silicon Dioxide
  
Transformation
  
  
Metamorphism
Yes
  
No
  
Types of Metamorphism
Burial Metamorphism, Impact Metamorphism
  
Not Applicable
  
Weathering
Yes
  
No
  
Types of Weathering
Biological Weathering, Chemical Weathering, Mechanical Weathering
  
Not Applicable
  
Erosion
Yes
  
Yes
  
Types of Erosion
Chemical Erosion, Coastal Erosion, Glacier Erosion, Water Erosion, Wind Erosion
  
Chemical Erosion, Coastal Erosion, Glacier Erosion
  
Physical Properties
  
  
Hardness
7
  
7
  
Grain Size
Coarse Grained
  
Fine Grained
  
Fracture
Uneven
  
Conchoidal
  
Streak
White, Greenish White or Grey
  
Colorless
  
Porosity
Less Porous
  
Less Porous
  
Luster
Dull to Vitreous to Submetallic
  
Waxy and Dull
  
Compressive Strength
Not Available
  
450.00 N/mm
2
  
1
Cleavage
Irregular
  
Non-Existent
  
Toughness
Not Available
  
1.5
  
Specific Gravity
3.2-3.5
  
2.5-2.7
  
Transparency
Opaque
  
Translucent to Opaque
  
Density
3.1-3.6 g/cm3
  
2.7 g/cm3
  
Thermal Properties
  
  
Specific Heat Capacity
Not Available
  
0.74 kJ/Kg K
  
19
Resistance
Impact Resistant, Pressure Resistant, Wear Resistant
  
Heat Resistant, Impact Resistant, Pressure Resistant, Wear Resistant
  
Deposits in Eastern Continents
  
  
Asia
India, Russia
  
China, India, Iran, Japan, Oman, Russia, Saudi Arabia, Taiwan, Thailand, Vietnam
  
Africa
South Africa
  
Kenya, Morocco, South Africa, Tanzania
  
Europe
Germany, Greece, Italy, Scotland, Turkey
  
Austria, France, Greece, Italy, Malta, Poland, Portugal, Serbia, Spain, Sweden, United Kingdom
  
Others
Greenland
  
Greenland, Mid-Atlantic Ridge
  
Deposits in Western Continents
  
  
North America
Canada, USA
  
Canada, Mexico, USA
  
South America
Brazil, Colombia, Venezuela
  
Bolivia, Brazil
  
Deposits in Oceania Continent
  
  
Australia
New Zealand, Queensland
  
New South Wales, Queensland, South Australia, Western Australia
  
Websterite vs Novaculite 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. Websterite vs Novaculite characteristics assist us to distinguish and recognize rocks. Also you can check about Properties of Websterite and Properties of Novaculite. Learn more about Websterite vs Novaculite in the next section. The interior uses of Websterite include Countertops, Decorative aggregates, Entryways, Floor tiles, Flooring and Interior decoration whereas the interior uses of Novaculite include Countertops, Decorative aggregates, Flooring and Interior decoration. Due to some exceptional properties of Websterite and Novaculite, they have various applications in construction industry. The uses of Websterite in construction industry include As dimension stone, Building houses or walls, Cement manufacture, Construction aggregate, For road aggregate and that of Novaculite include Arrowheads, Building houses or walls, Cement manufacture, Construction aggregate, Cutting tool, For road aggregate, Knives, Landscaping, Making natural cement, Production of glass and ceramics, Rail track ballast, Roadstone, Spear points, Used to sharpen metal tools and weapons.
More about Websterite and Novaculite
Here you can know more about Websterite and Novaculite. The life cycle of a rock consists of formation of rock, composition of rock and transformation of rock. The composition of Websterite and Novaculite consists of mineral content and compound content. The mineral content of Websterite includes Amphibole, Augite, Bronzite, Chromite, Diopside, Enstatite, Garnet, Hornblende, Hypersthene, Magnetite, Pyroxene and mineral content of Novaculite includes Quartz, Silicon. You can also check out the list of all Igneous Rocks. When we have to compare Websterite vs Novaculite, the texture, color and appearance plays an important role in determining the type of rock. Websterite is available in black to grey, bluish - grey, dark greenish - grey, green, light greenish grey colors whereas, Novaculite is available in black, brown, green, grey, red, white colors. Appearance of Websterite is Layered, Banded, Veined and Shiny and that of Novaculite is Glassy or Pearly. Properties of rock is another aspect for Websterite vs Novaculite. Hardness of Websterite and Novaculite is 7. The types of Websterite are Not Available whereas types of Novaculite are Not Available. Streak of rock is the color of powder produced when it is dragged across an unweathered surface. The streak of Websterite is white, greenish white or grey while that of Novaculite is colorless. The specific heat capacity of Websterite is Not Available and that of Novaculite is 0.74 kJ/Kg K. Depending on the properties like hardness, toughness, specific heat capacity, porosity etc., rocks are resistant to heat, wear, impact, etc.Websterite is impact resistant, pressure resistant, wear resistant whereas Novaculite is heat resistant, impact resistant, pressure resistant, wear resistant.