Rocksday

Phyllite

A step up from slate: fine-grained with a silky sheen from microscopic mica.

Phyllite specimen
Photo: EdwardEMeyer, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

How to identify phyllite

  • Satin-like sheen on split surfaces.
  • Often wavy or crinkled.
  • Individual mica flakes too small to see.

Often confused with

Where it's found

  • Vermont
  • Scottish Highlands
  • Norway

Uses

Decorative stone and flagstone.

Rock tumbling

Not suitable for tumbling.

Did you know?

Its name comes from Greek phyllon, 'leaf', for the way it splits.

Think you could spot it from a blurry close-up?

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