Gemdle

Pumice

whitegray

Pumice, a white/gray mineral
James St. John · CC BY 2.0
ColourWhite, Gray

What is Pumice?

Pumice, called pumicite in its powdered or dust form, is a volcanic rock that consists of extremely vesicular rough-textured volcanic glass, which may or may not contain crystals. It is typically light-colored. Scoria is another vesicular volcanic rock that differs from pumice in having larger vesicles, thicker vesicle walls, and being dark colored and denser.

How to identify Pumice

Can you spot Pumice?

Test yourself on photos of Pumice and lookalikes:

Frequently asked questions

How hard is Pumice?
Pumice's hardness varies; see the property table above.
What colour is Pumice?
Pumice is typically white, gray.