Gemdle

Schist

graybrown

Schist, a gray/brown mineral
James St. John · CC BY 2.0
ColourGray, Brown

What is Schist?

Schist is a medium-grained metamorphic rock generally derived from fine-grained sedimentary rock, like shale. It shows pronounced schistosity. This means that the rock is composed of mineral grains easily seen with a low-power hand lens, oriented in such a way that the rock is easily split into thin flakes or plates. This texture reflects a high content of platy minerals, such as mica, talc, chlorite, or graphite. These are often interleaved with more granular minerals, such as feldspar or quartz.

How to identify Schist

Can you spot Schist?

Test yourself on photos of Schist and lookalikes:

Frequently asked questions

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