metamorphic
Schist with Quartz Vein
Mica Schist with Crystalline Quartz (SiO2)
Hardness: 3-4 (schist) and 7 (quartz vein); Color: Gray to silver-green with a white/yellowish vein; Luster: Submetallic or pearly for the base, vitreous for the vein; Structure: Foliated and layered; Cleavage: Perfect basal cleavage in the mica layers.
- Hardness
- 3-4 (schist) and 7 (quartz vein)
- Color
- Gray to silver-green with a white/yellowish vein
- Luster
- Submetallic or pearly for the base, vitreous for the vein
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Physical properties
Hardness: 3-4 (schist) and 7 (quartz vein); Color: Gray to silver-green with a white/yellowish vein; Luster: Submetallic or pearly for the base, vitreous for the vein; Structure: Foliated and layered; Cleavage: Perfect basal cleavage in the mica layers.
Formation & geological history
Formed from medium-grade regional metamorphism of shale or mudstone. The quartz vein represents hydrothermal mineral deposition within the fractures of the host rock during or after the metamorphic process.
Uses & applications
Primary use is as decorative building stone, flagging, or as an source of garden landscaping rocks; also of interest for geological study and mineral collecting.
Geological facts
Schist is characterized by its high mica content, which allows it to be split into thin plates. The presence of a quartz vein indicates that hot, mineral-rich fluids once flowed through cracks in the crust deep underground.
Field identification & locations
Identify in the field by its distinct 'platy' or flaky layering (foliation) and the characteristic sheen of mica crystals. Look for the hard, glassy white vein cutting across the layers. Commonly found in mountain belts.
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