Itacolumite is a naturally occurring porous, yellow sandstone that is flexible when cut into thin strips. It occurs at Itacolumi, in the southern portion of Minas Gerais, Brazil.

Where can I find Itacolumite in North Carolina?

It occurs at Itacolumi, in the southern portion of Minas Gerais, Brazil. It is also found in Kaliana village (Charkhi Dadri district, Haryana, India); Georgia in the US; and Stokes and McDowell counties of North Carolina.

Is there a flexible Rock?

Abstract. Flexible quartzitic rocks are found in various locations around the world and have been identified as both sandstones and quartzites.

What rock can you bend?

A thin plate of flexible sandstone can be held between both hands and gently flexed. Flexible sandstone is flexible for two reasons: it has often has small oriented plates of flexible mica in it, and the grains of sand are interlocking but poorly cemented together. Some mineral dealers sell flexible sandstone.

Is Itacolumite soft?

Minerals of chlorite and talc are also found flexible. Itacolumite is porous to some degree from the water running through the veins in the rock. ... Bentonite is a clay mineral, which makes it soft and slippery.

Itacolumite—The World's Most Bendable Rock!

21 related questions found

Can a sledgehammer break rock?

The key to breaking a rock with a sledgehammer is to apply repeated pressure to a specific point of its surface, forcing it to crack. Pick a spot that is close and you think you can hit multiple times in a row.

Is quartz naturally occurring?

Quartz is the most abundant and widely distributed mineral found at Earth's surface. It is present and plentiful in all parts of the world. It forms at all temperatures. It is abundant in igneous, metamorphic, and sedimentary rocks.

What type of wood is bendable?

The species commonly used in industry for making bent members are: White oak, red oak, elm, hickory, ash, beech, birch, maple, walnut, mahogany, and sweetgum.

Why is Itacolumite flexible?

Therefore, it may be envisaged that the flexibility in Kaliana itacolumite is due to the presence of more intergranular void spaces. ... Thus, obviously, the flexibility in the itacolumite was induced by solution activity, more the solution activity, more the void spaces and hence more resultant flexibility.

Can diamonds be found in NC?

There have been 13 diamonds found in the state of North Carolina since 1893, the largest of which was four carats. Most of them were found as a result of panning operations for gold or monazite. One of these is in the Geology Collection of the Museum of Natural Sciences: NCSM 3225.

Can you find sodalite in North Carolina?

At Elijah Mountain Gem Mine, in Hendersonville, NC, you become a prospector from the 1800's and mine for real gem stones that you can keep! Gems that are found daily include Rubys, Sapphires, Emeralds, Quartz crystals, Citrine, Amethyst, Garnets, Adventurine, Sodalite, Opal, Fluorite, Aquamarine and many more!

What's inside a geode?

Most geodes contain clear quartz crystals, while others have purple amethyst crystals. Still others can have agate, chalcedony, or jasper banding or crystals such as calcite, dolomite, celestite, etc. There is no easy way of telling what the inside of a geode holds until it is cut open or broken apart.

How is slate made?

Slate was formed under low-grade metamorphic conditions—i.e., under relatively low temperature and pressure. ... The original material was a fine clay, sometimes with sand or volcanic dust, usually in the form of a sedimentary rock (e.g., a mudstone or shale).

Can you find fossils in slate?

Fossils are most commonly found within sedimentary rocks due to the favourable conditions of burial and limited alteration through time. ... Sedimentary rocks may undergo considerable change millions of years after deposition resulting in a new rock type, e.g. slate.

How is slate mined?

Extraction

The slate is extracted in large blocks cut with a diamond blade. The blocks are then transported by truck to the quarry processing plant. Water is used as a coolant and base material for removing rubble throughout the process involving the extraction and processing of the product.

What is bendable?

Adj. 1. bendable - capable of being bent or flexed or twisted without breaking; "a flexible wire"; "a pliant young tree" waxy, pliable, pliant. flexile, flexible - able to flex; able to bend easily; "slim flexible birches"

Why is sandstone a sedimentary rock?

Sandstone is a type of rock made from sediment — a sedimentary rock. The sediment particles are clasts, or pieces, of minerals and fragments of rock, thus sandstone is a clastic sedimentary rock.

Can you bend stone?

Stones can't bend but veneers can – you can really wrap them around anything. A cabinet, a column, an entire hotel – veneers seem to defy physics, but these natural stones are simply so thin that they're capable of bending around anything.

Is the process of breaking rocks up?

Weathering is the breaking down or dissolving of rocks and minerals on Earths surface. ... Water, ice, acids, salts, plants, animals, and changes in temperature are all agents of weathering. Once a rock has been broken down, a process called erosion transports the bits of rock and mineral away.