Definition
Novaculite is a dense, hard, fine-grained, siliceous metamorpic rock which is a type of chert that breaks with conchoidal fracture
History
Origin
-
Discoverer
Unknown
Etymology
From Latin word novacula, for razor stone
Class
Sedimentary Rocks
Sub-Class
Durable Rock, Hard Rock
Family
Group
-
Other Categories
Fine Grained Rock, Opaque Rock
Texture
Banded, Glassy, Rough, Vitreous
Color
Black, Brown, Green, Grey, Red, White
Maintenance
Less
Durability
Durable
Water Resistant
✔
✘
58% - Sedimentary Rocks Rocks have it !
Scratch Resistant
✔
✘
61% - Sedimentary Rocks Rocks have it !
Stain Resistant
✔
✘
42% - Sedimentary Rocks Rocks have it !
Wind Resistant
✔
✘
36% - Sedimentary Rocks Rocks have it !
Acid Resistant
✔
✘
19% - Sedimentary Rocks Rocks have it !
Appearance
Glassy or Pearly
Architecture
Interior Uses
Countertops, Decorative Aggregates, Flooring, Interior Decoration
Exterior Uses
As Building Stone, Garden Decoration
Other Architectural Uses
Curbing
Industry
Construction Industry
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
-
Antiquity Uses
Artifacts, Monuments
Other Uses
Commercial Uses
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
Sedimentary rock
Features
Clasts are smooth to touch, Easily splits into thin plates, Has High structural resistance against erosion and climate
Archaeological Significance
Monuments
-
Famous Monuments
-
Sculpture
-
Famous Sculptures
-
Pictographs
-
Petroglyphs
-
Figurines
-
Fossils
Present
Formation
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
Quartz, Silicon
Compound Content
Ca, Silicon Dioxide
Transformation
Metamorphism
✔
✘
17% - Sedimentary Rocks Rocks
Types of Metamorphism
-
Weathering
✔
✘
78% - Sedimentary Rocks Rocks
Types of Weathering
-
Erosion
✔
✘
86% - Sedimentary Rocks Rocks have it !
Types of Erosion
Chemical Erosion, Coastal Erosion, Glacier Erosion
Physical Properties
Hardness
7
1
7
👆🏻
Grain Size
Fine Grained
Fracture
Conchoidal
Streak
-
Porosity
Less Porous
Luster
Waxy and Dull
Compressive Strength
450.00 N/mm2
Rank: 1 (Overall)
0.15
450
👆🏻
Cleavage
-
Toughness
1.5
Specific Gravity
2.5-2.7
0
8.4
👆🏻
Transparency
Translucent to Opaque
Density
2.7 g/cm3
0
1400
👆🏻
Thermal Properties
Specific Heat Capacity
0.74 kJ/Kg K
Rank: 21 (Overall)
0.14
3.2
👆🏻
Resistance
Heat Resistant, Impact Resistant, Pressure Resistant, Wear Resistant
Deposits in Eastern Continents
Asia
China, India, Iran, Japan, Oman, Russia, Saudi Arabia, Taiwan, Thailand, Vietnam
Africa
Kenya, Morocco, South Africa, Tanzania
Europe
Austria, France, Greece, Italy, Malta, Poland, Portugal, Serbia, Spain, Sweden, United Kingdom
Others
Greenland, Mid-Atlantic Ridge
Deposits in Western Continents
North America
Canada, Mexico, USA
South America
Bolivia, Brazil
Deposits in Oceania Continent
Australia
New South Wales, Queensland, South Australia, Western Australia