Chert
Description
An opaque, white to light-gray, fine-grain stone containing microcrystalline Quartz particles. Chert is similar in composition to Flint, but has a lighter color. It was used in Paleolithic and Neolithic times for tools, weapons, and vessels. Currently, chert is used as an Abrasive, a semiprecious Stone, and as an Aggregate for the construction of buildings and roads.
Synonyms and Related Terms
hearthstone; firestone; malmstone; jasper; prase; cherte (Port.); Chert (Deut.)
Other Properties
Fracture = conchoidal
| Mohs Hardness | 7.0 |
|---|
Additional Information
° B.Aston, J.Harrell, I.Shaw, "Stone" in Ancient Egyptian Materials and Technology, P.Nicholson, I.Shaw (eds.), Cambridge University Press, 2000.
° Mineralogy Database: Quartz
Comparisons
Properties of Common Abrasives
Additional Images
- Uplandchertgravels Tert.age.jpg
Upland chert gravels of Tertiary age
Chert
Authority
- Dictionary of Building Preservation, Ward Bucher, ed., John Wiley & Sons, Inc., New York City, 1996
- Encyclopedia Britannica, http://www.britannica.com Comment: "chert and flint" Encyclopædia Britannica [Accessed January 22, 2002].
- C.W.Chesterman, K.E.Lowe, Audubon Society Field Guide to North American Rocks and Minerals, Alfred A. Knopf, New York, 1979
- G.S.Brady, Materials Handbook, McGraw-Hill Book Co., New York, 1971 Comment: p. 690
- Random House, Webster's Encyclopedic Unabridged Dictionary of the English Language, Grammercy Book, New York, 1997
- The American Heritage Dictionary or Encarta, via Microsoft Bookshelf 98, Microsoft Corp., 1998