ICS 01.040.91 ; 91.100.15  
 
Reference number  
DRS 515: 2022  
© RSB 2022  
  
 RWANDA 
STANDARD  DRS 
515  
 
First e dition  
2022 -mm-dd 
 
Natural stone  — Terminology  and 
classification  
   
DRS 515: 2022  
©RSB 2022 - All rights reserved                  ii 
 In order to match with technological development and to keep continuous progress in industries, 
standards are subject to periodic review. Users shall ascertain that they are in possession of the latest 
edition 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
© RSB 2022  
All rights reserved. Unless otherwise specified, no part of this publication may be reproduced or utilized 
in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying and microfilm, without 
prior written permission from R SB. 
Requests for permission to reproduce this document should be addressed to : 
Rwanda Standards  Board  
P.O Box 7099 Kigali -Rwanda  
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Toll Free: 3250  
E-mail: info@rsb.gov.rw  
Website: www.rsb.gov.rw  
ePortal: www.portal.rsb.gov.rw   DRS 515: 2022  
iii                ©RSB 2022  - All rights reserved  
 Contents  Page  
Foreword  ................................ ................................ ................................ ................................ ...................  iv 
1 Scope  ................................ ................................ ................................ ................................ .............  1 
2 Normative references  ................................ ................................ ................................ ...................  1 
3 Terms and definitions  ................................ ................................ ................................ ..................  1 
3.1 Geological terms  ................................ ................................ ................................ ..........................  1 
3.2 Quarrying terms ................................ ................................ ................................ ..........................  85 
3.3 Processing terms  ................................ ................................ ................................ .......................  94 
3.4 Products and installation terms ................................ ................................ ..............................  109 
4 Scientific classifications  ................................ ................................ ................................ ..........  119 
4.1 Scientific classification charts ................................ ................................ ................................ .... 1 
4.1.1  Igneous Rocks Classification Charts ................................ ................................ .........................  1 
4.1.2  Sedim entary rocks classification charts ................................ ................................ ....................  8 
4.1.3  Most common specific  names of metamorphic rocks ................................ ............................  13 
Annex  A (informative)  Examples of petrographical families/groups used in building  ...................  15 
 DRS 515: 2022  
©RSB 2022 - All rights reserved                  iv 
 Foreword  
Rwanda Standard s are prepared  by Technical Committees and approved by R wanda Standards Board (RSB) 
Board  of Directors in  accordance with the procedures of RSB, in compliance with Annex 3 of the WTO/TBT 
agreement on the preparation, adoption and application of standards.  
The main task of technical committees is to prepare national standards.  Final Draft Rwanda S tandards adop ted 
by Technical committ ees are ratified  by me mbers of RSB Board of Director s for publication and gazettment as 
Rwanda Standards.  
DRS 515  was prepared by Technical Committee RSB/TC 9, Civil engineering and building materials . 
In the preparation of this standard, reference was made to the following standard:  
EN 12670:2019 , Natural stone - Terminology  
The assistance de rived from the above source is hereby acknowledged with thanks.  
Committee membership  
The following organizations were represented on the Technical Committee on Civil engineering and building 
materials (RSB/TC 9) in the preparation of this standard.  
A+Construction Group Ltd  
Africeramics Ltd  
Consultants Engineers Group (CEG) Ltd  
D&D Resource s Ltd  
Dutureheza Ltd  
Enabel Rwanda  
Greenpack Africa Ltd  
Integrated Polytechnic Regional Centre (IPRC) - Musanze  
Mass Design Group  
NP Construction Construction Company (NPCC) Ltd  
Road Transport Development Agency (RTDA)  
Rwanda Housing Authority (RHA)  DRS 515: 2022  
v                ©RSB 2022  - All rights reserved  
 Rwanda Inspectorate, Competition and Consumer Protection Authority (RICA)  
Rwanda Quarries Association (RQA)  
SKAT Consult  
St Joseph Engineering Company (SJEC) Ltd  
Standards for Sustainability (SfS)  
Stonecraft Industries Ltd  
University of Rwanda - College o f Science and Technology (UR - CST)  
Rwanda  Standards Board  (RSB) – Secretariat  DRS 515: 2022  
©RSB 2022 - All rights reserved                  vi 
 Introduction  
The term Natural Stone groups several rock types with marked geological differences. The extraction, 
elaboration and commerce of Natural Stone have set a very particular vocabulary. Many of these terms  have 
been taken from the popular or quarrymen language, which sometimes is far from scientific definitions. This 
document establishes the terminological bases for geological and petrologic definitions of natural stone and its 
classification. It also incorporates most of the popular or commercial terminology.  
The terminology covers the fields of geology, mining, processing, marketing and products of Natural Stone. The 
included scientific classifications allow settin g the scientific name of the stone varieties. If the stone variety is 
not included in this document, the rock should be classified using its three main mineralogical components . 
 DRS 515: 2022  
1                ©RSB 2022  - All rights reserved  
 Natural stone — Terminology  and classification  
1 Scope  
This Draft Rwanda S tandard  defines the recommended terminology covering scientific and technical terms, test 
methods, products, and the classification of natural stones.  
This document does not cover roofing slate .  
2 Normative reference s 
There are no normative references in this doc ument . 
3 Terms and definitions  
For the purposes of this standard, the following terms and definition apply.  
3.1 Geological terms  
3.1.1  
acces sory minerals 
rock forming minerals that occur in such small amounts that they are not relevant in the classification or 
nomenclature of the rock  
3.1.2  
acid ro ck 
igneous rock that contains more than 6 3 wt.  % of silica  
3.1.3 
actinolite 
Ca-Mg-Fe-amphibole (see amphibole formula)  
3.1.4  
agate 
distinctly banded variety of chalcedony   
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 3.1.5  
age 
fourth order geolog ical time unit  
3.1.6  
agglomerate 
pyroclastic rock in which bombs (with diameters greater  than 64 mm) > 75 % 
3.1.7  
agglu tinate 
welded splatter, commonly of basaltic composition, deposited ballistically in strombolian or f ire fountain volcanic 
eruptions 
3.1.8  
alabas ter 
fine grained, compact variety of gypsum, usually white or pale coloured and translucent 
3.1.9  
albite 
sodium plagioclase, formula Na (AlSi3O8) (see pla gioclase) 
3.1.10 
alkali feldspar  
alkali rich feldspars microcline, orthoclase, sanidine, albite, with less than 5 % vol. anorthite 
Note 1 to entry: See feldspar and plagioclase. 
3.1.11 
allochems  
coarser framework grains in most mechanically deposited limestones in the basin of sedimentation 
Note 1 to entry: Allochems include: intraclasts, ooids, skeletal particles, pellets (including peloids). DRS 515: 2022  
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 3.1.12 
allotriomorphic  
anhedral  
xenomorphic  
mineral which shows in thin sections no characteristic or rational faces, suggested by its crystalline structure 
3.1.13 
alteration 
post-formational change of the mineralogical and or chemical composition of a rock brought about by physical, 
chemical, or biological means, including actions of hydrothermal solutions and weathering 
processes, excluding metasomatic and metamorphic changes 
3.1.14 
alumi na Al2O3 
chemical compound used in fine polishing 
3.1.15 
amorphous  
phase that does not have a crystalline structure 
3.1.16 
amphibole  
family of dark ferromagnesian silicate minerals, general formula A2-3B5(Si,Al)8O22(OH)2,  where A = Mg, 
Fe2+, Ca, Na; B = Mg, Fe2+, Fe3+, Al 
3.1.17 
amphiboli te 
gneissose or granofelsic metamorphic rock mainly consisting of green, brown, or black amphibole and 
plagioclase 
Note 1 to entry:  A gneissose/granofelsic  mesostructure  is  typical  of  true  amphibolites,  in  contrast  with 
schistose, green amphibole-albite greenschists.  
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 3.1.18  
amygdaloidal  
texture of volcanic rocks where almond -shaped vesicles are, fully or partially, filled with secondary  minerals  
3.1.19 
analcime  
mineral, Na  (AlSi 2O6)H2O of the zeolite group  
Note 1 to entry:     See zeolite, secondary minerals. 
3.1.20 
andalusi te 
mineral, Al2SiO5 polymorphous with sillimanite and kyanite  
3.1.21 
andesite 
volcanic rock of intermediate composition mainly composed of plagioclase (oligoclase - andesine) and  
one or more of the mafic minerals’  amphibole, pyroxene, and biotite  
Note 1 to entry:     See 4.2.1.5 
3.1.22  
anhydrite 
mineral with CaSO 4 formula  
3.1.23 
anisotropy  
vectorial behaviour of physical and mechanical properties in minerals and rocks, i.e.   hardness in  kyanite, 
thermal expansion in calcite, flexural resistance in slate  
3.1.24 
ankerite 
mineral of dolomite group with calcium and iron  DRS 515: 2022  
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 3.1.25 
anorthite 
calcic plagioclase, Ca (Al2Si2O8)  
Note 1 to entry:     see 3.1.384 . 
3.1.26 
anorthoclase  
sodium -rich mineral of the alkali feldspar group, formula (Na,K)AlSi 3O8 
Note 1 to entry:     Its compo sition, in terms of the mole fraction of the orthoclase compo nent (or) and the 
albite compo nent (ab) is or40ab60 to or10ab90 (see feldspar, microcline, plagioclase, orthoclase). 
3.1.27 
anorthosite  
plutonic rock mainly composed of anorthite – rich plagioclase and little or no mafic minerals  
Note 1 to entry:      See 4.2.1.2.  
3.1.28 
antiperthite 
perthitic intergrowth of plagioclase host and subsidiary K -rich feldspar  
3.1.29 
apatite 
group of minerals, of which the formula is Ca 5(PO 4,CO 3)3(F,OH,Cl)  
3.1.30 
apha nitic 
of or relating to an igneous rock in which the crystals are so fine that individual minerals cannot be distinguished 
with the naked eye  
Note:     Aphanitic rocks are extrusive rocks that cooled so quickly that crystal growth was inhibited.  
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 3.1.31 
aplite 
fine grained  igneous  rock  of  granitic  composition  with  allotriomorphic  texture  and,  commonly, 
leucogranitic composition 
3.1.32 
arago nite 
mineral, pol ymorphous with calcite, of which the formula is CaCO3 
3.1.33 
Archaean 
the older  eon of the Precambrian ranging from the formation of the Ear th at ~4 000  Ma to 2  500 Ma 
Note:      See Table 1. 
3.1.35 
arenite 
loose soil or consolidated  sedimentary rock, mainly composed of sand size detrital lithic fragments or mineral 
grains (between 1/16 mm and 2 mm) 
Note 1 to entry: Usually  the  term  is  used  with  a  prefix  that  refers  to  its  compo sition  or  genesis,  
e.g. quartzarenite (see 4.2.2.5). 
3.1.36 
argillite 
layered or not-layered consolidated  sedimentary rock mainly composed of detrital clay size particles or clay 
minerals 
3.1.37 
arkose  
sedimentary detrital rock with less than 75 %  vol. quartz a nd a high content of feldspar grains 
Note:     See 4.2.2.5. DRS 515: 2022  
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 3.1.38 
arkosic wacke  
sandstone comprising >5 % vol. of sand grade particles, with the feldspar content exceeding that of rock 
fragments and >15 % vol. of mud matrix (material <30 µm  in diameter) 
3.1.39 
ash 
fine-grained volcanic material 
3.1.40 
augen fabric 
fabric in some rocks, usually metamorphic, consisting of ellipsoidal or lens shaped porphyroblasts, crystals, 
or fragments, rounded and enveloped by the foliation, resembling eyes (augen) in a cross section 
3.1.41 
augen mylonite 
mylonite containing distinctive large crystals or lithic fragments around which the foliated fine-grained matrix is 
wrapped, of ten forming symmetric or asymmetric trails 
3.1.42 
augite clinopyroxene  
mineral of the pyroxene group (clinopyroxenes), the general for mula of which is (Ca,Na)(Mg,Fe2+,Al)(Si,Al)2O6 
with minor amounts of Na, Fe3+, Al, Ti admitted, the colour of which is dark green to black, and which is an 
essential constituent in basic igneous rocks such as basalts and gabbros 
3.1.43 
baffles tone 
autochthonous carbonate rock whose original components were bound organically during deposition, 
the organisms forming baffles  to trap  finer matrix material 
3.1.44 
banded 
rock having alternating nearly  paral lel layers that differ in colour, fabric or mineral composition, and because 
of that it shows alternating bands in a cross section  
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 3.1.45 
basalt  
volcanic rock consisting essentially of plagioclase (labradorite-bytownite) and pyroxene with variable amount 
of phenocrysts set in a fine-grained matrix 
Note 1 to entry:     Comm ercially natural stone as per the scientific definition of basalt and other rocks such 
as, picrites, diabases, dolerites and microgabbros. 
Note:     See 4.2.1.5. 
3.1.46 
basa nite 
silica-undersatura ted alkali olivine basalt containing olivine, clinopyroxene and plagioclase feldspar with 
>10 % vol. feldspathoids in the form of nepheline or leucite, which is found in association with other alkaline 
igneous rocks 
3.1.47 
 basic 
Mg,- Fe- and Ca-rich igneous rock with more than 45 % vol. and less than 52 % vol. of  silica 
3.1.48 
bed of blocks  
unweathered rock beneath unconsolidated material formed by blocks 
3.1.49 
bedding plane 
a) planar  or  nearly  planar  surface  that  visibly  separates  the  individual  beds,  layers  or  strata,  in 
sedimentary rocks; 
b)    any surface, even when conspicuously bent or deformed by folding 
3.1.50 
benmore ite 
alkali lava intermediate in composition between mugearite and trachyte DRS 515: 2022  
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 3.1.51 
bindstone 
autochthonous carbonate rock whose original components were bound organically during deposition, with the 
organisms binding finer matrix material together 
3.1.52 
bioclas tic rock  
sedimentary rock consisting of fragments and broken remains of organisms; e.g. limestone composed of shell 
fragments 
3.1.53 
biolithite 
limestone essentially constituted  of reef  structures, animal or plant 
3.1.54 
biotite 
mafic rock forming mineral of t he mica group with general fo rmula K(Mg,Fe2+)3(Al,Fe3+) Si3O10(OH) 2 
3.1.55 
black granite 
commercial term for black or dark coloured  plutonic rocks 
Note:     See e.g. gabbro, diabase, basalt. 
3.1.56 
blasto- 
prefix used to describe the metamorphic rock fabrics denoting the presence of primary crystals or pre- 
existing fabric modified by metamorphism, but still recognized; e.g. blastogranular, blastomylonitic, 
blastopsephitic 
3.1.57 
blastomylo nite 
mylonite which displays a significant degree of grain growth related  to or following deformation  
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 3.1.58 
block  
angular fragment of rock with a d iameter >256 mm 
3.1.59 
blue schist 
schist whose bluish colour is due to t he presence of sodic amphibole 
3.1.60  
omb  
mass of liquid lava thrown through the air which rotates and takes on a characteristic shape and 
structure 
3.1.61 
boundstone 
limestone, in which the grain were bound by an organism or organisms 
3.1.62 
breccia  
a)    coarse grained clastic sedimentary rock composed by angular rock fragments held together by a 
mineral cement or in a fine grained matrix; 
b)    clastic rock consisting of highly angular gravel-size fragments, of sedimentary, tectonic or volcanic origin 
3.1.63 
calc silica te marble  
marble with calcium and silicate minerals 
Note:     See marble, ophicalcite. 
3.1.64 
calcare nite 
limestone consisting predo minantly of recycled detrital calcite grains of sand size (1/16  mm – 2 mm) DRS 515: 2022  
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 3.1.65 
calcareous  
containing calcium carbonate 
3.1.66 
calcilu tite 
limestone consisting predominantly of detrital calcite grains or fragments of silt or clay size (<1/16mm) 
3.1.67 
calciphyre  
metacarbonate rock containing a conspicuous amount of calcium- and/or magnesium-silicate minerals 
3.1.68 
calcirudi te 
limestone consisting predo minantly of det rital calcite grains or fragments larger than sand size 
Note:     See rudite. 
3.1.69 
calcisil tite 
limestone consisting predo minantly of det rital calcite grains or fragments of silt size 
3.1.70 
calci te 
mineral, the formula of which is CaCO3; trimorphous with aragonite and vaterite 
Note:     Very common in some sedimentary and metamorphic rocks. 
3.1.71 
calcitic dolomite 
carbonate rock which 50 % vol. to 89 % vol. of the mineral do lomite 
Note:     See also 4.2.2 .11.  
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 3.1.72 
calci tic marble  
marble containing more than 50 % vol. of calcite 
3.1.73 
calc-schist 
carbonate silicate-schist metamorphosed  argillaceous  limestone  containing  calcite  as  a  substantial  
component  and  with  a schistose structure pr oduced by paralle lism of platy minerals 
Note:     The term carbonate-silicate schist should be used when the non-carbonate mineral content is >50 % 
vol. See schist, 4.2.3.  
3.1.74 
Cambrian  
oldest system and period into which the Palaeozoic is divided 
Note:     See Table 1. 
3.1.75 
carbo nate 
mineral containing CO32-; calcite, do lomite, magnesite, and siderite, etc. which are  frequent rock forming 
carbonate minerals 
3.1.76 carbo nate rock  
rock consisting chiefly of carbonate minerals, especially a sedimentary rock; limestone, dolomite, and 
carbonatite are e xamples of carbonate rocks 
Note:     See 4.2.2.8, 4.2.2.9,  4.2.2. 10 and 4.2.2 .11 
3.1.77 
carbo nate-silicate rock 
metamorphic  rock  mainly  composed  of  silicate  minerals  (including  calcium-silicate  minerals)  and 
containing between 5 % vol. vol and 50 % vol. vol of carbonate minerals 
3.1.78 
carbo niferous  
period and system of the Palaeo zoic DRS 515: 2022  
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 Note:     See Table 1. 
3.1.79 
cataclasi te 
fault rock which is cohesive with a poorly  developed  or absent schistosity, or which is incohesive, 
characterised by generally  angular porphyroclasts and lithic fragments in a finer-grained matrix of 
similar composition 
Note:     Generally, no preferred orientation of grains of individual fragments is present as a result of the 
deformation, but fractures may have a preferred orientation. A foliation is not generated unless the fragments 
are drawn out or new minerals grow during the deformation. Plastic deformation may be present but is always 
subordinate to some combination of fracturing, rotation and frictional sliding of particles. Cataclas ite may be 
subdivided according to the relative proportion of finer-grained matrix into protocataclas ite, mesocataclas ite 
and ultracataclasite 
3.1.80 
cataclas tic 
perta ining to the structure and texture produced in a rock by severe mechanical stress during dynamic 
metamorphism; bending, breaking, and fragmentation of the mineral grains are characteristic features; also 
said of the rocks exhibiting such structure 
Note:     See breccia. 
3.1.81 
cement 
mineral  material,  usually  chemically  precipitated  during  the  rock  compaction  that  occurs  in  the 
interstitial  spaces  among  the  individual  grains  of  a  sedimentary  rock,  thereby  binding  the  grains together 
as a rigid mass; silica, carbonates and iron oxides are common cements 
3.1.82 
Cenozoic 
youngest era of geologic time 
Note:     See Table 1. 
3.1.83 
chalcedo ny 
group  name  for  the  compact  varieties  of  silica  composed  of  minute  crystals  of  quartz  with  sub 
microscopic pores  
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 3.1.84 
chalcopyri te 
sulphide mineral, the fo rmula of which is CuFeS2 
3.1.85 
chalk  
soft fine grained limestone, usually white consisting mostly of calcitic remains from microorganism s, and 
minor silt and clay 
3.1.86 
charnockite 
orthop yroxene-bearing rock of granitoid composition 
3.1.87 
chert  
fine-grained, hard, compact and dense sedimentary rock, consisting dominantly of the SiO2  minerals quartz, 
chalcedony and opal. cryptocrystalline and/or amorphous silica 
Note:     Flint is a variety  of chert.  
3.1.88 
chlorite Group 
group  of  phyllosilicates,  some  of  them  of  green  colour,  with  general  formula  (Mg,  Fe2+,  Fe3+)6 
AlSi3O10(OH) 8 
3.1.89 
chlori toid 
micaceous mineral, the formula of which is Fe2Al4Si2O10(OH) 4 
3.1.90 
chromi te 
mineral, the formula of which is (Fe,Mg)(Cr,Al)2O4 DRS 515: 2022  
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 3.1.91 
chro nostratigraphic unit 
stage or zone which, independent of facies, represents a layer of specific age 
3.1.92 
cipolli no marble  
impure marble with band coloured structure, consisting in layers of calcite or dolomite grains mixed with 
variable quantities of silicate minerals 
3.1.93 
clast  
mineral or rock fragment composing clastic sedimentary rocks 
3.1.94 
cisuralian  
oldest epoch of the Permian 
Note :     See Table 1. 
3.1.95 
clastic 
perta ining to a rock or sediment composed principally of broken fragments that are derived from pre-existing 
minerals, rocks or organic structures and that have been transported some distance from its original place 
3.1.96 
clay minerals 
group of minerals, essentially hydrous silicates of alu minium with a layered crystalline structure; iron, 
magnesium, potassium, and other cations are also present in their formula; the most common of which b elong 
to illite, montmorillonite, and kaolinite mineral subgroups 
3.1.97 
clay sla te shale  
weakly metamorphosed clay stone with intermediate character between a clay stone and a true  slate  
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 3.1.98 
clay 
loose, extremely fine grained sediment or soft rock composed of particles with diameters less than 0,002  
mm, mainly of clay minerals a nd other minerals, especially quartz, feldspars, and carbonates 
3.1.99 
clay stone 
rock with more than 67 % vol. clay sized minerals 
3.1.100 
cleavage  
a)    property  of a rock to split along closely spaced planar surfaces (see slaty cleavage, crenulation 
cleavage, schistosity, and rough cleavage); 
b)    splitting of a mineral along its crystallographic planes, thus reflecting crystal structure 
3.1.101 
clinopyroxene  
monoclinic pyroxene exhibiting non-parallel extinction 
3.1.102 
colum nar 
structure of some volcanic rocks, such as basalt, consisting of parallel, prismatic columns, polygonal in cross 
section, nearly perpendicular to the top  and the bottom of the flow  unit 
3.1.103 
comb layering 
fabric of igneous rocks consisting of bands of elongated crystals with nearly  vertical mineral-elongation relat ive 
to the border of the bands 
3.1.104 
concretion 
collective  term  applied  loosely  to  various  primary  and  secondary  segregations  of  diverse  origin, 
including irregular nodules, spherulites, crystalline aggregates, geodes, septarias and related  bodies 
3.1.105 
conglomerate  DRS 515: 2022  
17                ©RSB 2022  - All rights reserved  
 coarse grained sedimentary rock composed of rounded to sub angular fragments (pebbles, cobbles, 
boulde rs), set in a fine grained matrix of sand or clay, and commonly cemented 
3.1.106  
consertal 
fabric of rocks showing toothed border lines between adjoining crystals 
3.1.107 
contact (between grains) 
mode of rela tion between grains of rock-forming minerals; i.e. by points, by lines, within the matrix 
3.1.108 
coral ro ck 
coral reef limestone 
3.1.109 
cordieri te 
silicate mineral, common in some metamorphic and rare in magmatic rocks, the formula of which is (Mg,Fe)2 
Al4Si5O18 
3.1.110  
corona 
fabric of igneous or metamorphic rocks where minerals  are surrounded by a seam of one or more other minerals 
Note:     Particular examples are the rapakivi fabric and kelyphit ic rims. 
3.1.111 
Cretaceous 
youngest of the periods/ and systems included  in the Mesozoic era/erathem 
Note:     See Table 1. 
3.1.112 
cross bedding 
cross stratification with thick individual beds  
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 3.1.113 
cross ed twinning 
lamellae of mineral t wins after two laws making in thin sections a grid as seen in microcline 
3.1.114 
cryp tocrys talline  
composed of crystals so fine that they cannot be recognized e ven under polarizing microscope 
3.1.115 
crystal zoning 
texture  of  igneous  crystals  with  concentric  layers  made  by  inclusions  or  variations  in  chemical 
composition e.g. in plagioclases 
3.1.116 
dacite 
volcanic rock with quartz,  plagioclase, alkali feldspar, and often  mafic components 
Note:     See 4.2.1.5. 
3.1.117 
dark mineral 
mafic mineral 
Fe-Mg rock forming minerals, e.g. olivine, pyroxenes, amphiboles and biotite 
3.1.118 
decussate  
metamorphic fabric of randomly oriented unequidimensional grains (e.g. pyroxenes, micas) 
3.1.119  
dedolomi tization 
partial or complete calcification of do lomite DRS 515: 2022  
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 3.1.120  
deforma tion fabric  
tectonic fabric  
rock fabric resulting from defor mation, as lineation, cleavages, schistosity, folds, preferred  orientations of 
crystals etc. 
Note:     See fabric. 
3.1.121  
devitrifica tion 
process of nucleation and growth of crystals in glasses at sub solidus temperatures 
3.1.122 
Devonian  
system of the Palaeozoic Erathem above the Silurian and below the Carboniferous 
Note:     See Table 1. 
3.1.123  
diabase  
medium grained rock of basaltic composition used in two ways: altered basaltic rocks (British) andophitic 
texture (French, German and American) 
3.1.124  
diagenesis 
process of mineralogical changes in sediments after depo sition which result in a consolidated rock 
3.1.125  
diamicti te 
terrigenous sedimentary rock with part icle sizes ranging from clay to boulder size 
3.1.126  
diatomite 
fine-grained, hydrated rock silica formed by the accumulation of the tests of diatoms  
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 3.1.127  
diori te 
pluto nic rock mainly composed of pla gioclase (-andesine), hornblende, and/or biotite 
3.1.128  
dip 
inclination of a bed to the horizontal; the dip is at a right angle to t he strike 
3.1.129  
doleri te 
igneous rock with basaltic composition, commonly with ophitic fabric 
Note :     See3.1.123 . 
3.1.130 
dolomite mineral  
mineral, the formula of which is CaMg(CO3)2 
3.1.131  
dolomi te rock  
carbonate rock with high percentage (90 % to 100  % of the mineral do lomite 
3.1.132 
dolomitic limestone  
carbonate rock with 10 %  vol. to 49 vol % vol. of the mineral do lomite 
Note:     See Table 6. 
3.1.133 
dolomitic marble  
magnesian marble  
marble containing more than 90 vol % vol. dolomite DRS 515: 2022  
21                ©RSB 2022  - All rights reserved  
 3.1.134  
dolos tone 
sedimentary rock made up of dol omite 
Note:     See Figure 15. 
3.1.135  
dunite  
perido tite 
medium - to coarse - grained ultramafic rock comprising >90 % vol. olivine, often  of mantle origin 
3.1.136  
dyke  
dike 
tabular or nearly  tabular body of igneous rock that cuts across the geological structure of surrounding rocks 
3.1.137  
eclogi te 
plagioclase-free coarsed-grained metamorphic rocks composed of ≥75  % vol. of omphacite and garnet 
3.1.138  
elongate fabric  
fabric of granoblastic metamorphic rocks in which the crystals tend to be elongated with prefe rred orientation 
3.1.139  
Eocene  
epoch of Paleogene  
Note:     See Table 1. 
3.1.140   
eon 
large division of geological time 
Note :     See Table 2.  
©RSB 2022 - All rights reserved                  22 
 3.1.141  
eonothem 
largest chronostratigraphic unit 
Note:     See Table 2. 
3.1.142  
epi- 
upon, above 
3.1.143  
epiclas tic 
descriptive of sedimentary material rede posited from an existing sediment 
3.1.144 
 epidote  
mineral   Ca2(Fe,Al)Al2[O(OH)( SiO4)(Si2O7)],   which   is   an   igneous   accessory,   common   in   some 
metamorphic rocks 
3.1.145  
epoch  
third order geological time unit 
Note:     See Table 2. 
3.1.146  
equigra nular fabric  
rock made of crystals of a similar relative size 
3.1.147  
era 
first order  geological time unit 
Note :     See Table 2. DRS 515: 2022  
23                ©RSB 2022  - All rights reserved  
 3.1.148  
erathem 
first order  chronostratigraphic unit, which consists of several ad jacent systems 
Note: S ee Table 2 
3.1.149 
essen tial m ineral 
mineral that in a rock is used for its classification in main petrographic families or classes 
Note:     See quartz, alkal i feldspar, plagioclase, feldspathoids, micas, amphiboles, pyroxenes, olivine, 
calcite, dolomite.  
3.1.150  
essexite  
pluto nic   rock   corresponding   to   nephe line   monzogabbro   or   nepheline   monzodiorite   composed 
essentially of labradorite plagioclase, minor alkali feldspar, feldspathoids (e.g. nepheline), and dark mafic 
minerals as titanian augite, kaersutite, and / or biotite 
3.1.151  
euhed ral idiomorphic 
crystal with well-developed crystal faces 
3.1.152  
exfolia tion 
process by which concentric or paral lel scales of rock are spalled out from the surface of a large rock mass 
3.1.153 
fabric element  
rock component that acts as a unit in deformation 
3.1.154 
fabric, depositional 
fabric resulting from deposition of sediments  
©RSB 2022 - All rights reserved                  24 
 3.1.155 
fabric, (grow th) 
fabric grown without stress and movement 
3.1.156 
 fabric  
relative orientation of parts of a r ock mass; hence mega-, meso-, microfabric depending on scale 
3.1.157  
facies  
general appeara nce or nature of a r ock mass, differentiating it from adjacent or associated ones 
3.1.157.1  
sedim entary facies 
sum of lithological and paleontological characters exhibited by a sediment or sedimentary rock body and 
related  to a given depositional environment 
3.1.157.2 
 igneous facies 
varieties of a single igneous body that differ in structure or composition from the normal rock type of the mass 
3.1.15 7.3  
metamorphic facies  
set of metamorphic mineral assemblages repeatedly found in terranes of all ages around the world and showing 
a regular relationships between mineral composition and bulk chemical composition, so that different 
metamorphic facies can be rela ted to different p-t conditions 
3.1.158  
fault gouge  
incohesive, clay-rich fine- to ultra fine-grained cataclasite which may contain a schistosity 
Note:     Lithic clasts may be present. 
3.1.1 59  
fault rock  
rock formed as a result of deformation in a fault zone DRS 515: 2022  
25                ©RSB 2022  - All rights reserved  
 3.1.160  
fault  
fault zo ne 
planar dislocation along which there has been displacement of the rocks on one side relative to those on the 
other side 
Note: This includes  fracture zones and shear zones or a fracture surface or zone along which rocks have 
moved relative to each other. A zone of sheared, crushed of foliated rock, in which numerous small dislocations 
have occurred, adding up to an appreciable total offset of the undeformed walls, is a fault zone 
3.1.161  
feldspar  
group of silicate minerals with the chemical composition KAlSi3O8  (orthoclase, microcline), NaAlSi3O8 
(albite), CaAl2Si2O8  (anorthite) with certain miscibility of these components (see anorthite, microcline, 
orthoclase, sanidine, pla gioclase) 
3.1.162 
feldspa thic sa ndstone subarkose  
sandstone rich in feldspar; intermediate in composition between arkosic sandstone and quartz sandstone 
Note:     See 4.2.2.5. 
3.1.163 
feldspa thic 
containing feldspar in a considerable amount 
3.1.164 
feldspa thoids foid  
group of alumino-silicate minerals with a variety of framework structures, similar to the feldspar but containing 
less silica, which is a characteristic of undersaturated  alkaline igneous rock 
3.1.165  
felsic  
containing feldspar, feldspathoids and other light-coloured silicates like quartz  
©RSB 2022 - All rights reserved                  26 
 3.1.166 
ferrugi nous 
containing iron or one of its components ferrous Fe2+ or ferric Fe3+ 
3.1.167 
fissile bedd ing 
bedding with laminae less than 2 mm in thickness 
3.1.168  
fissili ty 
property  of splitting easily along closely spaced parallel pla nes 
3.1.169  
fissure  
visible crack or fracture in the rocks 
3.1.170  
flint 
nodular  form of grey / black chert 
Note:     Term restricted to nodules of chert present in Cretaceous chalk. 
3.1.171  
flow fabric  
alignment of inequidimensional mineral grains in an igneous  rock in response to la minar flow 
3.1.172  
fluorite 
mineral, the formula of which is CaF2 
3.1.173  
foidite  
feldspathoidite 
general  term  for  volcanic  rocks  containing  more  than  60 %  vol.  foids  in  total  light  –  coloured 
constituents DRS 515: 2022  
27                ©RSB 2022  - All rights reserved  
 3.1.174  
foidolite  
feldspatoidolite 
general  term  for  plutonic  rocks  containing  more  than  60 %  vol.  foids  in  total  light  –  coloured 
constituents 
3.1.175  
fold 
bend in formerly planar or tabular rock bodies 
3.1.176  
foliation 
repet itively occurring or penetrative pla nar feature in a rock body (see cleavage) 
3.1.177  
forma tion 
basic stratigraphic unit identified by l ithological characteristics and fossils 
3.1.178  
fossil  
remains or marks of animals  or plan ts in sedi mentary rocks 
3.1.179  
frames tone 
authochthonous  organically  bound  limestone  in  which  the  organisms  formed  a  framework  during 
depos ition 
3.1.180 
Furongian 
younge st epoch of the Cambrian 
Note:     See Table 1.  
©RSB 2022 - All rights reserved                  28 
 3.1.181  
gabbro  
coarse grained plutonic rock cons isting of plagioc lase (labradorite-anort hite), and mafic  minerals as 
clinopy roxene, or thopyroxene, hornblende and olivine 
Note 1 to entry:     See 4.2.1.2 and 4.2.1.3. 
3.1.182 
garnet 
group of m inerals of formula X3Y2(SiO4)3 where X = Ca,Mg,F e2+,Mn2+ and Y  = Al,Fe3+,Mn3+,V3+,Cr 
3.1.183  
geode  
globular bodies  in sediments or igneous rocks often  containing fossils and crystals 
3.1.184 
geological s tructure 
a) macroscopic  feature of a rock mass  or rock unit, e.g. columnar structure, blocky fracture, platy part ing, 
bedd ing; 
b)    general  disposition, attitude, arrangement  or relative  positions of the rock units of a region or area, resulting 
from such geol ogical processes as sedimentation, faulting, fo lding, igneous  intrusion, e tc. 
3.1.185  
glass  
congeal ed melt which failed to crystallize, but w hich is polymerized to some  degree  
3.1.186  
glassy rock  
rock consisting partly  or wholly of glass, usually formed  when magma is quen ched too rapidly  for 
crystallization to oc cur, but also forming in a fault rock by dyna mic metamorphism (pseudotachylite) or by 
thermal metamorphism (buchite) 
3.1.187 
glauco nite DRS 515: 2022  
29                ©RSB 2022  - All rights reserved  
 green     mineral     of     the     phyllosilicates     group     originated     in     sedimentary     rocks,     formula 
(K,Na)(Al,Fe3+,Mg)2(Al,Si)4O10(OH) 2 
3.1.188 
gneiss 
metamorphic rock mainly consisting of quartz, feldspar and mica, in which bands  rich in granu lar minerals 
such as feldspar and quartz, al ternate w ith bands  of planar  minerals like m ica 
Note:     Might derive from an igneous rock (Ortho gneiss) or from a sedimentary rock (Paragneiss) (see Leptite 
and 4.2.3). 
3.1.189  
gneissose  
gneissic fabric  
a) structure characterized  by a poorly  or well developed schistosity through the rock, so that it splits on a 
scale of more than one centimetre 
b)    fabric  in metamorp hic rocks in which bands  rich in granular minerals alternate  with bands of planar 
minerals 
3.1.190  
goethite 
“rust-like” hydrat ed oxide of iron pro duced by t he weat hering of iron metal, with formula α-FeO.OH  
3.1.191 
graded bedd ing 
stratifi cation in which each stratum shows a grada tion in gra in size from coarse to fine 
3.1.192  
grain  size  
predominant diameter of part icles in a ro ck as observed 
3.1.193   
©RSB 2022 - All rights reserved                  30 
 grain  
particle of a rock e.g. t he cry stals in a gran ite 
3.1.194  
grainstone 
carbonat ed sedimentary rock with joined gr ains without finely crystalline cement 
3.1.195  
granite 
plutonic  rock cons isting essentially of quartz, alkali feldspar  and sodic plagioclase in variable amounts, usually 
with biotite and/ or hornblende  
Note 1 to entry       Comm ercially compact and polishable natural stone, used in decoration and building, 
mainly consisting of minerals with a hardness between 5 and 7 on the  Mohs scale, such as quartz and fe ldspar, 
e.g. granite as per the scientific definition, other plutonic ro cks, volcanic ro cks with porphyritic structure, 
metamorphic rocks with  mineralogical compo sition similar to granitoids  such as gneiss, black granites  (see 
3.1.55)  
Note:     See 4.2.1.2 
3.1.196  
granitoid 
term for any gran itic rock 
3.1.197  
granoblas tic 
mosaic fabric of more or less equidi mensional and even sized crystals 
3.1.198  
granodiori te 
plutonic  rock consisting essentially of quartz,  sodic plagioclase, and less amounts of hornblende  and biotite 
3.1.189  
granofels  DRS 515: 2022  
31                ©RSB 2022  - All rights reserved  
 granular metamorp hic rock under any metamorp hic grade  
3.1.200 
granofelsic s tructure 
type of metamorphic structure resulting from the absence  of schistosity such that the mineral  grains and 
aggregates  of mineral grains are e quant, or if inequant have a ran dom orientat ion 
3.1.201  
granophyric  
intergrowth of quartz and  K-Na-feldspar of interm ediate composition 
3.1.202  
granular 
rocks with all crystals ap proximately of e qual s ize 
3.1.203  
granulite 
high grade metamorphic rock with K-feldspar, quartz and garnet  and/or different  other mafic minerals and no 
primary muscovite 
3.1.204  
graphic  
fabric  of igneous rocks resulting from intergrowth  quartz and either K-rich or Na-rich fe ldspar 
3.1.205  
graphi te 
mineral, one of the two n aturally  occurring forms of crystalline carbon, t he other be ing diamond  
3.1.206  
gree nschist 
schistose met amorphic rock with albite chlorite, epidote, or actinolite  
©RSB 2022 - All rights reserved                  32 
 3.1.207  
gree nstone 
old field term indicating an altered igneous rock with chlorite, hornblen de, epidote 
3.1.208  
greywacke  
detritic sedimentary ro ck with a f airly abundant c ement ri ch in clay minerals 
Note:     See 4.2.2.6. 
3.1.29  
grit 
sedimentary ro ck with coarse and angu lar gra ins 
3.1.210  
grou ndmass  
fine-grained and /or glassy material surroun ding the phenocrysts in a por phyritic volcanic  rock 
3.1.211  
grow th fabric  
crystal arrangement det ermined by more or less  free growth fr om a surface or an edge  
3.1.212 
Guadalupian  
middle ep och of the Permian 
Note:     See Table 1. 
3.1.213  
gyps um 
mineral CaSO4·2H 2O also called  selenite; the den se varieties  are called ala baster  DRS 515: 2022  
33                ©RSB 2022  - All rights reserved  
 3.1.214 
habit  
characteristic crystal form or combination of forms of a mineral,  including characteristic irregula rities when 
idiomorphic 
3.1.215 
Hadean  
era of t he Precambrian 
Note:     See Table 1. 
3.1.216  
harzburgi te 
ultramafic/ultrab asic rock composed  of >40 % vol. olivine, 5-60 %  vol. orthopyroxene  and <5 % vol. 
clinopy roxene.  Forms the residue when basaltic magma is derived from mantle lherzolite, so it is found 
in ultr amafic xeno liths in alkali  basalts and in the mantle part of o phiolites 
3.1.217  
hawaii te 
alkaline volcanic rock containing andesine plagioclase (An30-50), pyroxene,  iron-titanium-oxide ± minor quartz 
or nep heline 
3.1.218 
heavy minerals  
accessory minerals with a density greater than 2,9  g/cm3 
3.1.219  
hemati te 
major o re mineral of iron, also found as an ac cessory mineral  in many r ocks, w ith formula F e2O3 
3.1.220   
©RSB 2022 - All rights reserved                  34 
 heteroblas tic fabric  
metamorphic rock composed of  crystals with a ran ge of s izes 
3.1.221 
Holoce ne 
younge st epoch of the Quaternary  
Note:     See Table 1. 
3.1.222  
holocrys talline 
rock cons isting entirely of  crystalline phases 
3.1.223  
holohyali ne 
rock cons isting entirely of  glass 
3.1.224  
homeoblas tic 
metamorphic rock composed of  crystals of approxi mately eq ual size 
3.1.225  
hornblende 
monoclinic Ca-amphibole with Al2O3 and F e2O3 
Note:     See 3.1.17 . 
3.1.226  
hornblendite 
plutonic  igneous rock composed almost completely of hornblende  
3.1.227  DRS 515: 2022  
35                ©RSB 2022  - All rights reserved  
 hornfels 
hard, compact conta ct-metamorp hic rock of any grain size, dominantly  composed of silicate + oxide minerals 
in varying proportions, w ith a horny a spect and a subcon choidal to jagged  fracture. 
Note:     Traditionally hornfels carried qualifiers referring to the nature of the parent rock (e.g. basic horn fels, 
pelitic hornfels) 
3.1.228  
host  
a)    mineral conta ining an inclusion 
b)    rock body conta ining other small bodies  
3.1.229  
hydro thermal  
adjective applied to processes, formations, and products, usually  of magmatic origin, made  by hot water or 
steam 
3.1.230  
hypidioblas tic fabric  
mineral con stituent of a  metamorphic rock which is boun ded only in part by  its own crystal faces 
3.1.231  
Hypidi omorphic  
 subhedral  
mineral gra in in an igneous rock which is bounded  by only some of its crystal faces 
3.1.232  
idioblas tic 
mineral con stituent of a  metamorphic rock which is wholly bound ed by its own crystal faces 
3.1.233   
©RSB 2022 - All rights reserved                  36 
 igneous rock  
rock formed by solidification from molten  material (magma)  
3.1.234  
ignimbri te 
pyroclastic volcanic rock either welded  on dep osition or subsequently lithified 
3.1.235 
illite 
clay mineral  of the phyllosilicate group  
3.1.236  
impac tite 
shock-metamorp hosed  rock,  including  brecc ias,  finely  crystalline  or  glassy  material  produced  by  a 
meteorite impact, e.g. su evite 
3.1.237 
inclusion  
small crystal, fragment, g as, or liquid filled vo id within a larger crystal 
3.1.238  
intergra nular fabric  
typical  of  basalts,  it  consists  of  relatively  equidimensional  clinopy roxene  and  magnet ite  grains  set 
amongst a framework of elongate fel dspar microphenocrysts 
3.1.239  
Intergrow th   
re-crystalliza tion 
term applied to the interlocking of different crystals due to  simultane ous crystallisation 
3.1.240  DRS 515: 2022  
37                ©RSB 2022  - All rights reserved  
 interme diate rock  
rock with < 10 % vol. quartz plus either plagioclase in the range  An10-50, or an alkali  feldspar or both alkali 
and plagioclase fel dspars 
3.1.241  
interser tal fabric  
fabric  in volcanic rocks, where the spaces betwe en a framework of elonga te feldspar microphenocrysts are 
filled w ith glass  (or its alteration prod ucts) 
3.1.242  
intraclast  
fragment of ty pically weakly consolidated sedi ment reworked fr om within the area of deposition 
3.1.243  
intrusive rock  
medium- to coarse-grained igneo us rocks deriving from solidification of magma emplaced within a host rock 
3.1.244  
ironstone 
clayey or c ompact rock consisting largely of  iron minerals  
3.1.245  
jasper  
granular, mi crocrystalline variety of quar tz, usually coloured r ed by hemat ite 
3.1.246 
Jurassic  
system of Mesoz oic 
Note:     See Table 1. 
3.1.247  
©RSB 2022 - All rights reserved                  38 
 K-feldspar  
potas sium feldspar 
Note:     See microcline, orthoclase, and sanidine. 
3.1.248  
kaoli nite 
common clay mineral  formed by the weathering or hydrothermal alteration of feldspars and other alum inous 
silicate m inerals, with general f ormula Al2(Si2O5)(OH) 4 
3.1.249  
karst  
lands cape and structures developed  in limestone, gypsum, and other soluble rocks by the effects of 
solution wea thering 
3.1.250  
kelyphi tic rims  
corona  structure composed of microcrystalline aggregates  of fibrous pyroxene or amphibole deve loped around 
olivine or garnet  
3.1.251  
kyanite  
disthene 
mineral, pol ymorphous with anda lusite and  sillimanite, the formula of which is Al2SiO5 
3.1.252  
Labradoresce nce 
schiller  
optical phenomenon  cons isting of flashes or iridescence  visible when the mineral  or rock is moved  in the 
light, as seen in some Ca-rich plagio clases 
Note:     See feldspar, plagioclase. DRS 515: 2022  
39                ©RSB 2022  - All rights reserved  
 3.1.253  
laccoli th 
concordant, f lat-floored, dome like intrusion w hich arches the overly ing host rocks 
3.1.254  
lamprophyre  
dark  igneous  dyke  rock  characterised  by  abundant  mafic  phenocrysts,  most  commonly  biotite, 
hornblende or augite 
3.1.255  
lapilli  
pyroclast of any s hape with a mean diameter bet ween 2 and 64 mm  
Note:     See 4.2.1.6. 
3.1.256  
larviki te 
augite syenite or monzo nite characterised by the distinctive blue labradorescence  of its rhomb shaped 
feldspars 
3.1.257  
latite 
volanic  rock with roug hly equal propor tions of plagioclase and alkali feldspar 
Note:     See Figure 6. 
3.1.258  
lava 
magma  which is extruded  from a volcano or fissure in the earth's surface; also the volcanic rock that is solidified 
from it 
3.1.259   
©RSB 2022 - All rights reserved                  40 
 layer  
bed or stratum of rock 
3.1.260  
lepidoblastic fabric  
textural  term applied to the parall el alignment of sheet silicate minerals, such  as micas and chlorites in 
metamorphic rocks 
3.1.261  
leptite  
obsolete term for fine-grained, equigranu lar often  banded  rock of granitic composition, often  resulting from 
metamorp hism of a volcanic rock or by the rmal metamorphism of other rocks; e.g.  hälleflinta 
3.1.262  
leuci te 
feldspathoid mineral, KA lSi2O6, occurring in pot assium  rich vol canic rocks 
3.1.263 
leuco  
prefix mean ing white, w eakly coloured,  or colourless 
3.1.264  
leucocratic  
igneo us rock whose colour index  (M’) ranges  from 10 to 35, where M’ is M (mafic minerals) minus any 
muscovite,  apatite  and  primary  carbonat es  (i.e.  colour less  minerals  in  plane-polarized  transmitted 
microscopy)  
3.1.265  
lherzolite  
phaneritic rock similar to peridotite which contains 40-90 %  vol. olivine, >5 % vol. orthopyroxene  and >5 %  
vol. clinopy roxene  with accessory plagio clase, spinel ± garnet,  which yields basaltic magma on part ial 
melting, so is taken as a model for the compo sition of  the upper mantle, which occurs in some ophiol ites and 
as xenol iths in alka li basalts, lamproites  and ki mberlites DRS 515: 2022  
41                ©RSB 2022  - All rights reserved  
 3.1.266 
light  mineral 
rock forming minerals with a dens ity less  than 2,9 g/cm3, e.g. quartz, feldspar 
3.1.267  
limes tone 
sedimentary ro ck consisting chiefly of calcite, CaCO3 
Note :     See 4.2.2.8 and 4.2.2.9. 
3.1.268  
limonite 
hydrated iron ox ide FeO ·OH·nH 2O 
3.1.269  
lineation  
general des criptive te rm for any k ind of l inear (one  dimens ional) feature  in the fabric  of a r ock 
3.1.270  
lithic tuff  
pyroclastic tuff composed predom inantly of r ock fragments 
Note:     See 4.2.1.5. 
3.1.271  
lithic 
term applied to rock fragments 
3.1.272  
lithification  
©RSB 2022 - All rights reserved                  42 
 conve rsion of an incoherent sediment into a ro ck 
3.1.273 
lithographic li mestone 
extre mely fine gra ined micritic limestone 
3.1.274 
lithographic structure 
term used  to describe grain size in calcareous sedimentary  rocks, where it is homogen eous and very fine 
(clay size) 
3.1.275  
lithology  
general  character of a rock unit, particularly as seen  in field-exposures and hand specimens; i.e., its mineral 
composition, fab ric, primary structures, and t he smaller-scale secondary structures 
3.1.276  
lithostratigraphy  
stratigraphy based on t he petrologi cal characteristics of the rocks 
3.1.277 
lithotype 
rock defined on t he bas is of certain sel ected pet rological characteristics 
3.1.278  
llandovery  
oldest epoch of the Silurian 
Note:     See Table 1. 
3.1.279  
longrain  DRS 515: 2022  
43                ©RSB 2022  - All rights reserved  
 preferr ed direction of cut  in slates and o ther rocks 
3.1.280 
Lopingi an 
younge st epoch of the Permian 
Note:     See Table 1. 
3.1.281 
Ludlow  
epoch of t he Silurian  
Note:     See Table 1. 
3.1.282  
lumachella  
limestone consisting of fossil moll usc shells like bivalves  
3.1.283  
macros tructure 
structural feature of a r ock which can be seen w ithout magnification 
3.1.284  
mafic  
term referring to ferromagnesian silicate minerals and ro cks composed largely of t hese m inerals 
Note:     See dark mi neral. 
3.1.285  
magma  
molten or part ially molten rock material, from which igneous rocks are d erived t hrough  solidification  
©RSB 2022 - All rights reserved                  44 
 3.1.286 
magnesian  limestone  
dolomi tic lime stone  
carbonate rock with 10 to  49 % vol. of the mineral dolomite 
Note:     See 4.2.2.11.  
3.1.287  
magn esite 
carbonate  mineral, source of magnesia, formula Mg CO 3 
3.1.288  
magne tite 
strongly magne tic mineral, formula (Fe ,Mg)Fe 2O4 
3.1.289 
main  minerals  
rock-forming minerals that oc cur in sufficient amount to be u sed in the classification of t he rock 
3.1.290  
marble  
metamorphic rock contain ing more than 50 % vol. of carbonat es (calcite and/or  arago nite and/ or dolomite) 
formed by metamorphic recrystallization of a carbona te rock 
Note 1 to entry :     Impu re marbles contain between 50 and 95 % vol. carbonates, pure marbles contain > 
95 % vo l. carbonates. 
Note 2 to entry :     Comm ercially compact and polishable natural stone, used in decoration and building, 
mainly consisting of minerals with  hardness between 3 and 4 on the Mohs scale (such as calcite, do lomite or 
serpentine), e.g.  marbles as per the scientific definition and cipollino m arbles, as well as the following  natural 
stones, provided that they are capable of taking a mirror polish: limestone marbles, limestones, dolomite s, 
calca reous breccias, travertines and serpentinites (see Mohs scale). 
3.1.291  DRS 515: 2022  
45                ©RSB 2022  - All rights reserved  
 marl  
sedimentary  rock which is a mixture  of calcite and clay (35-65 %  vol. vol clay), with very occasional ly dol omite 
3.1.292  
massive  
of homogeno us structure, without stratification,  foliation,  flow band ing, schistosity, and the like, said of some 
rocks e.g. gran ites and limestones from reefs 
3.1.293  
matrix 
finer-grained material be tween t he larger gr ains or particles of a sediment or  sedimentary ro ck 
3.1.294  
mela - 
prefix attached to an igneous rock name signifying that it is of darker colo ur than usual  
3.1.295  
mesoca taclasite  
cataclasite where the finer-grained matrix forms more  than 50 % vol. and l ess than 90 % vol. of the rock volume  
Note: As cataclasite is the general term, to be consistent it is necessary to have a prefix for the more specific 
term intermediate between proto- and ultracataclas ite. 
3.1.296  
mesomyloni te 
mylonite where more than 50 %  vol. and less than 90 %  vol. of the rock volume has undergone  grain size 
reduction 
Note:     As mylonite is the general term, to be consistent it is necessary to have a prefix for the more specific 
term intermediate between proto- and ultramylonite. 
3.1.297 
Mesozoic   
©RSB 2022 - All rights reserved                  46 
 era comprising the Triassic, Jurassic and Cretaceous 
Note:     See Table 1. 
3.1.298  
meta- 
prefix  indicating  that  the  parent  rock  has  undergone  a  low  grade  metamorphic  process  (e.g. 
metasediments, metavolcan ics) 
3.1.299  
metamorphic grade  
relative condition of metamorphism; specifically re fers to temperature and  is expres sed by variations in mineral 
assemblage, divided in very low, low,  medium, high and very high grade of met amorphism 
3.1.300  
metamorphic rock  
rock that has undergone  metamorphism 
Note:     See 4.2.3. 
3.1.301  
metamorphism  
process dominantly  in the solid state, pressure and temperature driven, by which rocks are changed  in their 
mineralogi cal content / composition, structure, and texture.  Diagen esis is usually not cons idered as  
metamorphism 
3.1.302  
metasom atism 
open -system process by which the chemical compo sition of a rock or rock portion is changed  in a 
pervas ive manner  and which involves  the introduction or removal  of substance s, moving in a fluid medium 
3.1.303  
miaroli tic DRS 515: 2022  
47                ©RSB 2022  - All rights reserved  
 fabric  applied  to  small  cavities  in  igneous  rocks, especially  common  in  granites,  poss ibly  filled  by 
secondary m inerals 
3.1.304 
mica  
mineral group consisting of silicates characterized  by very perfe ct basal cleavage, t he general fo rmula of the 
group is  (K,Na,Ca)(Mg,Fe,L i,Al)2-3(Al,Si)4O10(OH,F)2 (see biotite, mus covite) 
3.1.305  
micaci te 
term for fissile rock, rich in p hyllosilicates 
3.1.306  
micri te 
fine gra ined crystalline matr ix of limestones 
3.1.307  
micri tic  
microcrys talline calc ite 
very f ine-grained (<4 µm) carbonate  making up the matrix in limestones 
3.1.308  
microcli ne 
member of the fel dspar g roup, co mposition KAl Si3O8 
Note:     See feldspar. 
3.1.309  
microcrack  
crack observab le only u nder the microscope  
3.1.310   
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 microcrys talline  
microgra nular 
applied to  a rock whose cry stals can only be seen under t he microscope 
3.1.311  
microfabric  
type of texture cons isting of prefer red orientation on the microscopic scale 
3.1.312  
migm atite 
composite  silicate  metamorphic  rock,  pervasively  heterogen eous  on  a  meso-  to  megascopic  scale,  
consisting of darker  parts usually exhibiting features of metamorphic rocks, and lighter parts  being of igneo us 
appea rance 
3.1.313 
mineral replacem ent 
process of practically simultane ous disintegration  and depos ition by which a new mineral of partly  or wholly 
differing chemical composition may grow in the body of an old  mineral or mineral aggregate  
3.1.314  
mineral  
homogene ous  naturally  occurring  solid  phase  with  a  defined  chemical  composition  and  a  highly 
ordered a tomic  composition 
3.1.315 
minor elements 
componen ts with concen trations less than 0,5 we ight %. 
3.1.316 
Miocene  
epoch of Neogene  DRS 515: 2022  
49                ©RSB 2022  - All rights reserved  
 Note:     See Table 1. 
3.1.317 
Mississippi an 
oldest series of the Carboniferous 
Note:     See Table 1. 
3.1.318 
modal composi tion 
mode  
volumetric  propor tions, usually expres sed on a percentage  basis, of the minerals constituting rock, 
determined by pola rizing microscope  
3.1.319 
Mohs scale  
hard ness scale  
empirical scale develo ped by Mohs in which the relative hardness  of a mineral is assessed, of which 1 is Talc; 
2 is Gypsum; 3 is Calcite; 4 is Fluorite; 5 is Apatite; 6 is Orthoclase; 7 is Quartz; 8 is Topaz;  9 is Corundum; 
10 is Diamond 
3.1.320  
monzonite 
plutonic  rock containing almost equal amounts  of plagioclase and alkali  feldspar with minor amphibole and / or 
pyroxene  
Note:     See 4.2.1.2. 
3.1.321  
mosaic fabric  
texture  of  anhedral  grains,  whose  grain  boundaries   deve loped  by  mutual  interference  during 
crystallization or recrystallization  
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 3.1.322  
muds tone 
sedimentary ro ck of mud  grade  
3.1.323  
mugear ite 
intermediate sodic  basaltic  trachyand esite 
3.1.324  
muscovi te 
member of the mica gro up, usually white, general formula KA l2(AlSi3)O10(OH,F) 2 
3.1.325  
mylo nite 
fault rock which is cohesive  and characterized  by a well-deve loped  schistosity resulting from tectonic redu ction  
of  grain  size,  and  commonly  containing  rounded  porphyroclasts  and  lithic  fragments  of similar co mposition 
to minerals  in the matr ix 
Note1 to entry :     Fine scale layering  and an associated mineral or stretching lineation are commonly 
present. Brittle  deformation  of  some  minerals  may  be  present,  but  deformation  is  commonly  by  crystal  
plasticity. Mylonites  may be subdivided according to the relative proportion of finer-grained m atrix into 
protomylonite, me somylonite and ultramylonite. 
Note 2 to entry : In  the  field  it  is  often  not  possible  to  distinguish  a  foliated  fault  rock  formed  by  brittle 
deformation (foliated cataclasite) from one formed by crystal plastic or grain boundary sliding processes, or a 
combination of dif ferent deformation mechanisms. Hence these are all defined in the field by the term mylonite. 
3.1.326  
myrmek itic fabric  
microscopic  interg rowth  of verm icular (r od-like) quartz in pla gioclase 
3.1.327 
Namurian  
Carbonifer ous stage DRS 515: 2022  
51                ©RSB 2022  - All rights reserved  
 Note:     See Table 1. 
3.1.328  
natural s tone 
piece of natu rally oc curring rock 
3.1.329  
nematoblas tic fabric  
fabric  of a r ecrystallized rock in which the shape of the gra ins is threadlike 
3.1.330 
Neogene  
younger per iod of t he Tertiary 
Note:     See Table 1. 
3.1.331 
nepheline syenite 
plutonic  rock, var iety of foid syenite, in which nepheline is  the most abunda nt foid 
Note:     See 4.2.1.2 
3.1.332  
nepheline 
silicate m ineral  of the feldspathoids group, formula (Na,K)A lSiO 4 
3.1.333  
nephelinite 
presently  used to define modally a variety of foidite. If mode  is not available, chemically as a rock with 
normative Ne>20 % v ol. 
Note:     See foidite and 4.2.1.5.  
©RSB 2022 - All rights reserved                  52 
 3.1.334  
nodule  
small more or less rounded body  within a host sediment  or igneo us rock (e.g. flint nodule, peridotite nodule)  
3.1.335  
norite 
plutonic  rock composed mainly of Ca-plagio clase and ort hopyroxene  
Note:     See 4.2.1.3. 
3.1.336 
norma tive compos ition 
assemblage  of  hypothetical  water-free,  standard  normat ive  minerals  calculated  from  the  chemical 
composition of a rock according to a pr escribed sequence of rul es (e.g. CIPW Norm) 
3.1.337 
nummulite lime stone 
format ion made up ch iefly of fos sil shells of certain foram inifers (num mulites) 
3.1.338  
obsidian  
dark r hyolitic volcanic glass 
Note 1 to entry:     See rhyolite. 
3.1.339  
ocellar  
post-kinematic poikiloblastic grow th of mineral phases  or subspherical eye-shaped bodies in igneous  rocks, 
that have been interpreted vario usly as vesicle infillings or immiscible magma gl obules 
3.1.340 
Oligocene  DRS 515: 2022  
53                ©RSB 2022  - All rights reserved  
 younge st epoch of Pal eogene  
Note 1 to entry:     See Table 1. 
3.1.341  
olivine 
silicate m ineral with composition betw een fo rsterite, Mg 2SiO4, and faya lite, Fe2SiO4 
3.1.342  
oncoid 
type of carbonate  coated gra in coated by microbial mats in which the laminae are irregular in thickness, rel ief 
and continuity 
3.1.343  
onyx 
variety of  chalcedony consisting of alternat ing layers 
Note 1 to entry:     See chalcedon y. 
3.1.344  
ooid  
oolith 
spherical to ellipsoidal body with concentric or radial structure or both, with or without a nucleus and usually 
calcareous, but a lso siliceous, hematitic, or other co mposition 
3.1.345  
opal 
natural hydrous silica gener ically de fined SiO2·nH2O 
3.1.346 
opaque minerals  
minerals that are  impervious  to visible light, observed in thin section  
©RSB 2022 - All rights reserved                  54 
 3.1.347  
ophicarbo nate rock  
ophicalci te  
ophidolomi te  
ophima gnesite 
rock  consisting  of  serpentinite  and  carbonate;  the  serpen tinite  being  commonly  fragmented  or 
brecciated, and veined and/or  impregnat ed by the carbonate  material; carbonatation  of serpentine  
being possible 
3.1.349  
ophioli te 
seque nce of oceanic crust including, from bottom  to top, peridotite, gabbro,  basaltic sheeted dikes and 
pillow lav as, and  marine sedi mentary r ocks; and a lso the met amorphic rocks derived f rom them 
3.1.349  
ophi tic fabric  
common textu re in gabbro ic and doleritic rocks in which euhedral  plagio clase is enclosed poikilitically 
in larger crystals of pyro xene 
3.1.350  
orbicular  fabric  
spheroidal fabric  
ovoid bodies  in an igneous rock, composed of concentric  layers of radiating or tangent ially arranged crystals 
3.1.351 
Ordovician  
second of t he perio ds comprised in the Paleozoic era DRS 515: 2022  
55                ©RSB 2022  - All rights reserved  
 Note 1 to entry:     See Table 1. 
3.1.352  
orthoclase  
member of the fel dspar g roup, co mposition KAl Si3O8 
Note 1 to entry:     See alkal i feldspar and feldspar. 
3.1.353  
orthogneiss 
gneiss derived from a granitic/acidic rock 
3.1.354  
orthopyroxe ne 
pyroxenes  crystallizing in the orthorhombic system, and u sually calcium-poor 
3.1.355  
overgrow th 
secondary   material   deposited   in   continuity   with   a   crystal   grain,   common   in   sedimentary   or 
metamorphic rocks 
3.1.356  
packs tone 
grain-supported, cla stic limestone conta ining some lime mud  
3.1.357 
Paleoce ne 
oldest epoch of Pa leogene  
Note 1 to entry:     See Table 1. 
3.1.358  
©RSB 2022 - All rights reserved                  56 
 Paleoge ne 
older pe riod of the Cenozoic 
Note 1 to entry:     See Table 1. 
3.1.359 
Paleozoic  
first era in the earth's history  with abun dant fossil rema ins following the Precambrian time with very rare 
traces  of fossils 
Note 1 to entry:     See Table 1. 
3.1.360  
parag neiss 
gneiss derived from a sedi mentary r ock 
Note 1 to entry:     See gneiss. 
3.1.361  
paraschist  
schist derived fr om a sedimentary r ock 
Note 1 to entry:     See schist. 
3.1.362  
parting 
tenden cy of crystals to separate along  planes other than cleavage planes  
3.1.363  
pebbles  
smooth rounded  stones ranging in diameter f rom 4 mm to 63 mm  
3.1.364  DRS 515: 2022  
57                ©RSB 2022  - All rights reserved  
 pegm atite 
coarse grained f acies of any type of igneous  rock 
3.1.365  
pelite 
alum inium -rich ro ck formed by t he metamorphism of clay-rich sediments  
3.1.366  
Pellet 
fecal ball.  
Small aggregate ri ch in organic mate rials of largely  fecal origin without any vi sible internal structures 
3.1.367  
peloid  
sand-size gr ain of carbonate mud 
3.1.368 
pencil cleav age 
property  of splitting into large  rod like fragment s, seen in some foliated metamorphic rocks, due to the 
interse ction of two  cleavage sets 
3.1.369 
Pennsylvanian  
younge st series  of the Carboniferous 
Note 1 to entry:     See Table 1. 
3.1.370  
perido tite 
collective na me for ult ramafic rocks consisting essentially of olivine (>40 %  vol.) and pyroxene   
©RSB 2022 - All rights reserved                  58 
 Note 1 to entry:     See 4.2.1.4. 
3.1.371  
period  
second ord er geologi cal time unit 
Note 1 to entry:     See Table 2. 
3.1.372 
Permian  
last period of the Pal eozoic era 
Note 1 to entry:     See Table 1. 
3.1.373  
perthite 
intergrowth with K-rich alkali feldspar host and subsidiary lamellae of N a-rich plagio clase 
3.1.374  
petrography  
description  and  classification  of  rocks  by  analysis  of  origin,  fabric  and  mineral  content,  e.g.  with 
polariz ing microscope, X-ray d iffraction, c hemical analysis or other means  
3.1.375  
petrological family  
petrological group  
scientific  name of t he rock obta ined by petrograp hic exam ination  
Note 1 to entry:     See specifically Annex A of this standard. 
3.1.376  
phaneri tic DRS 515: 2022  
59                ©RSB 2022  - All rights reserved  
 texture  of igneous rocks in which all the crystals of the essential minerals are visible to the naked  eye, in 
contrast with aphanitic, microcrystalline, and cryptocrystalline textur es 
3.1.377 
Phanerozoic  
current eon, po st-Precambrian time 
Note 1 to entry:     See Table 1. 
3.1.379  
phenocrys ts 
relatively large  crystals set in a finer matrix in igneous rocks and clearly visible to t he naked eye  
3.1.379  
phlogopi te 
mineral of t he mica grou p, formula K(Mg,Fe )3AlSi3O10(OH) 2 
3.1.380  
phonolite 
volcanic rock con sisting essentially of alkali  feldspar and any fo id 
Note 1 to entry:     See 4.2.1.5. 
3.1.381  
phylli te 
schist mainly con sisting of glittering layers of micas, chlorite, quartz, and  other minor minerals 
3.1.382  
phyllo nite 
phyllosilicate-rich mylonite w hich has the lustrous sheen of a p hyllite 
3.1.383   
©RSB 2022 - All rights reserved                  60 
 picri te 
mg-rich ba salt, usually  expressed by a large amount of ol ivine 
3.1.384  
plagioclase  
minerals with composition between  NaAlSi3O8 (Albite = Ab) and CaAl2Si2O8 (Anort hite = An); the series of 
which being commonly designated  in terms of the mole fraction of the anorthite component  (An) as  follows: 
albite (An 0 % vol. to 10 %  vol.),  oligoclase (An 10 %  vol. to 30 %  vol.),  andes ine (An 30 %  vol. to 50 %  vol.),  
labrado rite (An 50 %  vol. to 70 %  vol.), bytown ite (An 70 %  vol. to 90 %  vol.), anort hite 
(An 90 % vol. to 100 % v ol.) (see feldspar) 
3.1.385 
Pleis tocene  
older of the two ep ochs comprising the quat ernary per iod 
Note 1 to entry:     See Table 1. 
3.1.386  
pleochroism  
anisotropy  of  light  absorption  in  crystals,  e.g.  shown  by  biotite  in  polarizing  microscope  (brown: cleavage 
parallel colourless: cleavage ver tical to v ibration direction of light) 
3.1.387 
Plioce ne 
epoch of t he Neogene  
Note 1 to entry:     See Table 1. 
3.1.388  
plutonic rock  
igneo us rock that has formed benea th the surface by consolidation from magma,  and being usually coarse 
grained 
Note 1 to entry:     But not all coarse – grained rocks are plutonic. DRS 515: 2022  
61                ©RSB 2022  - All rights reserved  
 3.1.389  
pneumatolysis  
alteration of r ocks by gases  and vap ours from igneous rocks in a late  stage of  intrus ion 
3.1.390  
poikili tic 
inclusion of pr e-existing mineral gra ins in one re latively large crystal in igneous rocks 
3.1.391  
poikiloblas tic 
inclusion of pr e-existing mineral gra ins in one re latively large crystal in metamorphic rocks 
3.1.392  
polycrys talline 
assemblage of crystal gr ains that toget her form a solid body  
3.1.393  
polygo nal fabric  
mosaic  
fabric  of granobl astic metamorphic rocks in which the gene ral shape of the crystals are interlocking w ith 
mode rately straight boundaries  tending to meet in triple p oint 
3.1.394 
polymorphic m inerals  
polymorphous m inerals  
series  of  minerals  with  same chemical composition  but  different  lattice  stru ctures,  e.g.  andalusite- kyan ite-
sillimanite series 
3.1.395  
porcella nite  
©RSB 2022 - All rights reserved                  62 
 archaeological te rm for a rock formed by the the rmal metamorphism of a soil horizon in basalt  
3.1.396  
porphyri tic fabric  
igneo us rock containing phenocry sts set in a fine-grained to a phanitic groundmass 
3.1.397  
porphyroblas tic fabric  
fabric  characterized by l arge crystals formed dur ing metamorp hic crystallization 
3.1.398  
porphyroclas ts 
relict crystals surrounded  by finer gra ins in a dyn amically metamorphosed rock 
3.1.399 
Precambrian  
time bef ore the Cambrian, including the Prote rozoic, the Archean and t he Hadean 
Note 1 to entry:     See Table 1. 
3.1.400 
preferred orien tation 
rock in which the grains are more or l ess systematically o riented by growt h, depos ition, or d eformation 
3.1.401 
Pridoli  
younge st epoch of the Silurian 
Note 1 to entry:     See Table 1. 
3.1.402 
primary m inerals  DRS 515: 2022  
63                ©RSB 2022  - All rights reserved  
 those m inerals that crystallized or were de posited in the original rock forming process 
3.1.403 
Proterozoic  
younger  Eon of the Precambrian,  2,500 – 541 Ma., divided into three eras: Neo-Proterozoic, Meso- 
Protero zoic  and Pale o- Protero zoic 
Note 1 to entry:     See Table 1. 
3.1.404  
protocataclasi te 
cataclasite where the finer-grained matrix, forms less than 50 % vol. of the r ock volume 
3.1.405  
protomylo nite 
mylonite where less than 50 % vol. of the rock volume has undergone gra in size re duction 
3.1.406  
psamm ite 
sand or sand stone w ith gra in diameters mainly between 0,06 25 mm and 2 mm  
Note 1 to entry:     See arenite. 
3.1.407  
pseph ite 
coarse  grained fragmental rock composed of rounded  pebbles  with  diameters  mainly greater  than 2 mm  
Note 1 to entry:     See rudite 
3.1.408  
pseudomorph  
mineral, mineral  intergr owth, or aggregate  of grains resulting from replacement  of a single pre-existing crystal, 
the shape of which is preserved  
©RSB 2022 - All rights reserved                  64 
 3.1.409  
pseudo tachylite 
ultrafine-grained vitreous-looking material, usual ly black and flinty in appearance,  occurring as thin planar  
veins, injection veins or as a matrix to pseudo conglomerates or breccias, which infills dilation fractures in 
the host rock 
3.1.410  
pumice  
highly vesi cular vo lcanic pyroclastic rock usually pale-coloured  and r hyolitic 
Note 1 to entry:     See 4.2.1.6. 
3.1.411  
pyrite 
mineral with formula F eS2, dimorphous with marcasite 
Note 1 to entry:     If finely distributed in a rock unstable against weathering 
3.1.412  
pyroclas tic rock  
rock produced as the result of explosive volcanic eruption, made  of >75 % vol. fragmental  volcanic 
materials 
Note 1 to entry:     See 4.2.1.6. 
3.1.413  
pyrophylli te 
silicate m ineral, the formula of w hich is AlSi2O5(OH)  
3.1.414  
pyroxe ne 
mineral family of silicates of the general formula R 2Si2O6 with R = Mg,Fe, Ca,Na,Al, and ot her elements  DRS 515: 2022  
65                ©RSB 2022  - All rights reserved  
 3.1.415  
pyroxe nite 
collective term for ultramafic  pluto nic rock consisting mainly of pyroxenes,  less than 40 % vol. olivine, 
and ot her minerals 
Note 1 to entry:     See 4.2.1.4. 
3.1.416  
pyrrho tite 
mineral with formula Fe 1-xS, unstable to t he weathering like many ot her fine grained sulp hides 
3.1.417 
quar tz diori te 
plutonic  rock with pla gioclase, quartz, and  other mafic minerals 
Note 1 to entry:     See 4.2.1.2. 
3.1.418 
quar tz porphyry  
aphanitic rock of rhyolite composition containing phenocrysts of quartz  and orthoclase in a glassy 
ground mass 
3.1.419  
quar tz 
very common mineral of the fo rmula SiO2 
3.1.420  
quar tzarenite 
sandstone  cemented  by  silica  or  other  silicates  (feldspars,  micas,  clay  mineral s)  which  has  grown 
around s iliceous grains 
Note 1 to entry:     See 4.2.2.3 and 4.2.2.5  
©RSB 2022 - All rights reserved                  66 
 3.1.421  
quar tzite 
metamorphic rock consisting essentially of quartz  
Note 1 to entry:     See 4.2.3. 
Note 2 to entry:     Comm ercially a quartzite is a natural stone as per the scientific definition of quartzite 
and qu artzarenite. 
3.1.422 
Quaternary 
younger of the two g eological systems in the Cenozoic era 
Note 1 to entry:     See Table 1. 
3.1.423 
radia te intergrow th fabric  
variety of skeletal fabric of igneous rocks with a skelet al intergrow th of two minerals where one of these is  
filling the gaps  of the other in radiate manner 
3.1.424 
radiolari te 
chert containing abunda nt radiolarian 
3.1.425 
rapakivi gra nite 
granite with large roun ded potas sic feldspars mantled w ith sodic plagioclase 
3.1.426  
recrys talliza tion 
format ion of new m ineral  grains in a rock or in its constituents  
3.1.427  DRS 515: 2022  
67                ©RSB 2022  - All rights reserved  
 relic fabric  
preservation of  any or iginal fabric  when one or more minerals are repl aced or recrystallized 
3.1.428  
relief  
measure  of  the  re lative difference  in refringence  between  a mineral grain  and its surroundings  in  
Petrograp hy 
3.1.429  
rhyoli te 
silicic volcanic rock consisting of phenocrysts of quartz and alkali feldspar, often with minor plagioclase and 
biotite in a m icrocrystalline or gl assy groundma ss; rhyolite is sometimes completely gl assy 
Note 1 to entry:     See obsidian and 4.2.1.5.  
3.1.430 
rock -formi ng minerals  
50 to 100 principal silicates, oxides, carbonates and phosphates occurring in rocks, e.g. feldspar, quartz, 
pyroxene, a mphibole, mica, calcite, do lomite, and  clay minerals 
3.1.431  
rudaceous  
with the appeara nce of a rudite 
3.1.432  
rudite 
fragmental  sedimentary rocks composed of fragments coarser than sand gr ains (>2 m m) 
Note 1 to entry:     See psephite. 
3.1.433  
rutile  
©RSB 2022 - All rights reserved                  68 
 mineral, fo rmula T iO2 
3.1.434  
saccharoidal fabric  
granular or crystalline fa bric resembling that of loaf sugar 
3.1.435  
sand 
sediment of s ize range 0,0625 mm to 2 mm 
3.1.436  
sandstone 
terrigene ous  detritic  sedimentary  rock  composed  of  grains  of  quartz,  feldspar,  mica,  and  lithic 
fragments from older rocks, and w hose size ranges  from 1/16 mm to 2 mm 
Note 1 to entry:     See 4.2.2.5. 
Note 2 to entry:     Comm ercially, a sandstone is a natural stone as per the scientific definition of sandstone 
and with  silicates, calcite, clay minerals or iron oxides as cement. 
3.1.437  
sanidine 
potas sium feldspar in volcanic rocks 
3.1.438  
saussuri te 
commonly  greenish mineral aggregate,  produced in part by the alteration of feldspar, cons isting chiefly of 
epidote and zoisite 
3.1.439  
scapoli te 
group of m inerals, with general fo rmula (Na,Ca)4(Al3Si9O24)Cl DRS 515: 2022  
69                ©RSB 2022  - All rights reserved  
 3.1.440 
schist  
foliated  metamorphic  rock  composed  of  nearly  parallel  arranged  mica,  chlorite,  quartz,  and  other typical 
minerals 
Note 1 to entry:     See foliation, schistosity, calc-schist and 4.2.3.  
Note 2 to entry:     Comm ercially, a schist is a natural stone possessing a well-developed fissility that allows 
an easy split, i.e. some gneiss and phyllites, some limestones, quartzites, and fine grained pyroclastic rocks 
3.1.441  
schis tosity  
foliation or lineation in thoroug hly crystallized an d/or re crystallized metamorp hic rock 
3.1.442  
schlieren  
mineral concentrations  (usually as streaks or layers) of cryptic  origin in plutonic  rocks, particularly granitoids 
3.1.443 
seco ndary m inerals  
minerals formed as a consequence of t he alteration of pre -existing minerals 
3.1.444  
sedim entary rocks  
rocks formed by t he accumulation and diagen esis of sediment underwat er or in subaerial environmen 
Note 1 to entry:     See 4.2.2. 
3.1.445  
seria te fabric  
fabric  in which the grain size of a m ineral  continuously de creases 
3.1.446   
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 serici te 
fine gra ined var iety of  muscovite 
Note 1 to entry:     See muscovite. 
3.1.447  
series  
third order c hronostratigraphic unit 
Note 1 to entry:     See Table 2. 
3.1.448  
serpen tine 
mineral of the chemical formula  Mg6Si4O10(OH) 8, including the main varieties lizardite, antigorite and 
chrysot ile 
3.1.449  
serpen tinite 
metamorphic rock consisting almost wholly of ser pentine and re lics of primary minerals 
Note 1 to entry:     See green marble. 
3.1.450  
shale  
sedimentary  rocks including the indura ted, laminated, or fissile claystones and siltstones with cleavage parallel 
to be dding, cons isting of phyllosilicate and  quartz  
3.1.451  
shonkinite 
coarse grained rock with abundant  augite, some olivine, biotite or hornblende,  and essential alkali feld spar 
and f oids, usually  nepheline 
3.1.452  DRS 515: 2022  
71                ©RSB 2022  - All rights reserved  
 shosho nite 
potas sic, basaltic trachyandesite 
3.1.453  
sideri te 
carbonate  mineral, F eCO3 
3.1.454 
silica mi nerals  
group of m inerals with the formula  SiO2 of which Quartz is  the most com mon 
Note 1 to entry:     Other varieties and polymorphs include agate, chalcedony,  chert, coesite, cristobalite, 
flint, jasper, onyx, opal, stishovite and tridymite. 
3.1.455  
silica te 
compound  whose crystal lattice conta ins SiO4 tetrahedra,  either isolated or joined through  one or more of the 
oxygen at oms to form groups, chains, sheets, or three dimensional structures 
3.1.456  
siliciclas tic 
clastic rock descriptor indicating a rock whose clasts are pre dominantly of  silicate minerals 
3.1.457  
silicifica tion 
introd uction  of,  or  replacement  by,  silica,  including  all  varieties  of  such  processes,  whether  late 
magmati c, hydrothermal or diagene tic 
3.1.458  
sill 
tabular  igneo us intrusion which has been emplaced paral lel to the bedding or schistosity of the host rocks  
©RSB 2022 - All rights reserved                  72 
 3.1.459 
sillima nite 
mineral, Al 2SiO5 polymo rphous with kyan ite and andalus ite 
3.1.460  
silt 
sediment of s ize range 0,0039 mm to 0,0625  mm 
3.1.461  
siltstone 
fine gra ined consolidated  sedimentary ro ck composed predominantly of parti cles of silt size 
3.1.462 
Silurian  
geologic  system between Ordovi cian and Devon ian 
Note 1 to entry:     See Table 1. 
3.1.463  
sinter 
porous, low density, light coloured siliceous rock depos ited by wate rs of hot springs and geysers.  e.g. 
siliceous sinter, consisting of silica; calcare ous sinter, consisting of calcium carbonate,  is also called  tufa, 
travert ine, and onyx  marble 
3.1.464  
skele tal fabric  
fabric  of igneous rocks showing skeletal or dend ritic crystallized  minerals 
3.1.465  
slate DRS 515: 2022  
73                ©RSB 2022  - All rights reserved  
 fine grained very low to low grade  metamorphic rock possessing a well-developed  fissility parallel  to the 
planes of slaty cleavage  
3.1.466  
Soaps tone 
steatite 
metamorphic rock composed 30 % vol. -70 %  vol. talc., of which the carbon ate content, if present, is up to 
70 %  vol., and of which any other single mineral species (chlorite, serpentine, olivine, amphibole, pyroxene 
etc.) is less than 50 % vol.  
Note 1 to entry:     Comm ercially, rocks consisting 30 % vol. –70 %  vol. talc, carbonate, chlorite and 
serpentine. They  have a soapy feel and are soft enough  to be carved with a knife. 
3.1.467  
sodali te 
feldspathoid mineral, Na 8(AlSiO4)6Cl2 
3.1.468  
spari te 
coarse grained (0,0 2-1 mm) calcite cement, major constituent of limestone 
Note 1 to entry:     See 4.2.2.9. 
3.1.469 
sparr y-limes tone 
limestone w ith sparite cement 
3.1.470 
spheroidal s tructure  
orbicular s tructure 
ovoid body  in an igneo us rock composed of concentr ic layers of radiating or tangen tially arranged 
crystals  
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 Note 1 to entry:     See orbicular fabric and 3.1 .350. 
3.1.471  
spheruli te 
clusters of radiat ing crystals (usually feldspars, and possibly silica) formed by the radial grow th of acicular 
crystals from a common centre  or inclusion in vol canic rocks, e specially rhyolite 
3.1.472  
spheruli tic 
radial fabric  of minerals in rocks showing spherulites 
3.1.473  
spiculi te 
sediment or sedimentary  rock composed of  sponge  spicules 
3.1.474 
spilite 
low grade  hydrothermally metamorphosed  and meta somatized basaltic rock with albitized plagioclase set in a 
chlorite /Ca-silicate rich matrix 
3.1.475  
spotted sla te 
slate in which metamorphism has caused the grow th of larger  crystals in the fine-grained matrix 
3.1.476  
stage 
fourth  order  chronostratigraphic  unit 
Note 1 to entry:     See Table 2. 
3.1.477  
stauroli te DRS 515: 2022  
75                ©RSB 2022  - All rights reserved  
 silicate m ineral, the formula of w hich is (Fe,Mg )2Al9Si4O23(OH)  
3.1.478 
Stephanian 
carbonifer ous stage in North -West of Europe  
Note 1 to entry:     See Table 1. 
3.1.479  
stratification 
texture  produced by deposition of sediments  in beds or layers (strata), laminae, lense s, wedg es, and 
other u nits 
3.1.480  
structure 
arrange ment of the parts of a rock mass irrespective of scale, including spatial relationships between the 
parts, their relative size and shape and the internal  features of the parts, hence microstrucure  (at the 
microscopic scale),  mesostructure (at the hand-specimen or outcrop scale), megastructure (at the reg ional 
or mappab le scale) 
3.1.481  
stylolite 
surface of interpenetra ting or sutured contact originated  in grain – to – grain pressure solution during 
diagen esis 
3.1.482 
syenite 
plutonic  rock consisting mainly of alkali feldspar, with subordinate sodic  plagioclase,  biotite, pyrox ene, 
amphibole and oc casionally fayal ite; very m inor amount of quar tz or foid can be pre sent 
Note 1 to entry:     See 4.2.1.2. 
3.1.483   
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 symple ctite 
microscopic  interg rowth formed by coupled growth  during secondary r eaction and repla cement 
3.1.484  
system 
second ord er chronostratigrap hic unit 
Note 1 to entry:     See Table 2. 
3.1.485  
talc 
silicate m ineral, the formula of w hich Mg 3Si4O10(OH)2 
3.1.486 
tectonic or  fault breccia  
medium to coa rse-grained cataclasite containing >30 % vol. vi sible fragments  
3.1.487  
tectonic 
resulting from forces during the deformation of the earth's crust the rocks show features like cracks, 
faults, folds, flexures, striations, and brec ciation 
3.1.488  
tectonite 
rock whose minute structure has been pro duced by te ctonic  movement of its parts  
3.1.489  
tephr ite 
olivine-poor (<10% vol.) volcanic, alkaline volcanic rock comprising plagio clase, clinopyroxene  and 
feldspathoids. DRS 515: 2022  
77                ©RSB 2022  - All rights reserved  
 Note 1 to entry:     The presence of olivine causes gradation into a basanite, and of alkal i feldspar into  a 
phono lite. Occurs in oceanic islands and continental setting 
3.1.490 
Terreneuvi an 
oldest epoch of the Cambrian 
Note 1 to entry:     See Table 1. 
3.1.491 
Tertiary 
oldest geologic  period/system comprised in the Cenozoic  era 
Note 1 to entry:     See Table 1. 
3.1.492  
texture 
term either defining the relative size, shape and spatial interrela tionship between  grains and internal 
featur es  of  grains  (i.e.  microstructure),  or  denoting  the  presence  of  preferred  orientation  on  the 
microscopic  scale (i.e. microfabri c) 
3.1.493 
thin section 
embedded  fragment  of  rock  or  mineral  ground  to  a  thickness  of  approximately  30 µm,  polished, 
mounted on a glass  as a microscopical slide and of ten covered with a t hin glass  
3.1.494  
tholei itic basalt  
basalt conta ining plagioclase, augite, and  orthopyroxene  
3.1.495  
titanite   
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 sphene  
silicate m ineral, CaTiSiO5 
3.1.496  
tonalite 
plutonic  rock  consisting  essentially  of  quartz,  intermediate  plagioclase,  usually  with  biotite  and 
amphibole 
Note 1 to entry:     See 4.2.1.2. 
3.1.497  
topaz  
mineral, the formula of which is Al2SiO4F2 
3.1.498  
tourmaline  
complex silicate found  in granite pegmatite and as an accessory mineral in igneo us and metamorphic 
rocks, general f ormula (Na, Ca)(Fe,A l,Li)3Al6(BO 3)3Si6O18(OH) 4 
3.1.499  
trachyandes ite 
volcanic rock intermediate in composition betw een ande site and trac hyte 
3.1.500  
trachybasalt  
volcanic rock intermediate in composition betw een ba salt and tr achyte 
3.1.501  
trachydac ite DRS 515: 2022  
79                ©RSB 2022  - All rights reserved  
 volcanic rock with a low er Na2O+K2O content than  trachyte and with no pla gioclase phenocry sts 
3.1.502  
trachyte  
volcanic rock con sisting essentially of alkali  feldspar 
Note 1 to entry:     See 4.2.1.5 
Note 2 to entry:     Comm ercially, a trachyte is a natural stone as per the scientific definition of  trachyte and 
other rocks such as latites, quartz-trachytes, quartz-latites and trachyte tuffs. 
3.1.503  
traver tine 
fine-grained f reshwater limestone f ormed by rap id precipitation of  CaCO3 from water  
3.1.504  
onyx marble  
compact, banded  variety of traver tine, cons isting of coloured and transpar ent layers  of calcite and/or 
aragon ite, and  capab le of taking a poli sh 
3.1.505  
tremolite  
mineral of t he calcic amphibole group, f ormula Ca2Mg 5Si8O22(OH) 2 
3.1.506 
Triassic  
oldest of the three geo logic systems comprised in the Mesoz oic era 
Note 1 to entry:     See Table 1. 
3.1.507  
troctolite 
gabbro w ith olivine and no pyroxene   
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 3.1.508  
trondhjemite  
leuco -tonalite 
leuco cratic variety of tonalite (sodic  plagio clase, quartz and m inor biot ite) 
Note 1 to entry:     See 4.2.1.2. 
3.1.509  
tufa 
porous, spongy var iety of  freshwater  carbonate  encru station on plant r emains 
3.1.510  
tuff 
lithified pyrocla stic deposit made of ash grains (<2 mm diameter) exceeding 75 % vol.  
Note 1 to entry:     See 4.2.1.6. 
3.1.511  
tuffite 
pyroclastic rock consisting of a mixture of pyr oclasts and epi clasts 
3.1.512  
twin 
twinned cry stal 
twin crystal 
nonparallel  intergrowth  of two or more individuals of the same crystalline phase having additional symmetry 
elements  
3.1.513  
ultrabasic  DRS 515: 2022  
81                ©RSB 2022  - All rights reserved  
 igneo us rock containing less than 45 w eight % of  SiO2 
3.1.514  
ultracataclasi te 
cataclasite where the finer-grained matrix forms more t han 90  % vol. of t he rock volume 
3.1.515  
ultramafic  
describes rock containing less than 10 % v ol. felsic minerals 
3.1.516  
ultramylo nite 
mylonite where more  than 90 % vol. of the rock volume  has undergone  grain size reduction, which  
doesn't need to be ‘ultra’ fine gra ined 
3.1.517  
unequigranular 
rock conta ining crystals of variable gr ain size 
3.1.518  
urali tization 
repla cement of pyroxene  (augite) by (f ibrous) hornblende  
3.1.519  
urtite 
foidolite with more than 70 % vol. nep heline 
Note 1 to entry:     See 4.2.1.2. 
3.1.520   
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 varioli tic fabric  
fabric  of igneo us rocks with pock-marked appearance composed  of radial aggregates  of feldspar and 
pyroxene microliths in a microcrystalline or dev itrified glas sy base 
3.1.521  
vein 
mineral body, t hin in rela tion to its other dimensions, which cuts the older  country ro ck 
3.1.522  
vesicle  
spherical, el lipsoidal or more irregu lar holes in volcanic or hypabys sal rocks, formed  by the coll ection of 
volat iles exsolved f rom magma during cooling or extrusion 
3.1.523  
vesicular  fabric  
fabric  of vo lcanic rocks where v esicles are pr esent 
3.1.524  
vitreous glassy  
mineral material t hat does not have crystalline structure 
3.1.525 
volca nic agglom erate 
pyroclastic rock in which bombs or rounded  fragments  with diameters greater than 64 mm are > 75 % 
vol. 
Note 1 to entry:     See 4.2.1.6. 
3.1.526  
volca nic glass  DRS 515: 2022  
83                ©RSB 2022  - All rights reserved  
 congeal ed melt of high viscosity which failed to  crystall ize, but w hich is polymer ized to some degree  
3.1.527  
volca nic rock  
extrusive rock  
igneo us rock deriving from the solidification of  molten material (magma) at t he Ear th’s surface 
3.1.528  
vug 
cavity in a rock someti mes lined or filled w ith either crystalline or amorphous minerals 
3.1.529  
wacke  
sandstone w ith 15% vo l. - 75% vol.  mud matrix by vol ume 
3.1.530  
wackes tone 
limestone comprising matrix-suppor ted carbonate  particles in mud  
3.1.531  
wall ro ck 
country r ock immediately  adjacent to a ve in, dyke or larger intrusive body  
3.1.532  
webs terite 
pyroxen ite consisting of clinopyroxene  and orthopyroxene  and < 5 % vol. olivine, which occurs within ultr amafic 
intrusions and as  ultramafic xenol iths in basalt 
3.1.533  
wehrli te  
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 peridotite with clinopy roxene  and >40 %  vol. olivine and <5 %  vol. orthopyroxene,  which occurs within ultramafic 
intrusions and as  ultramafic xenol iths in basalt 
3.1.534 
Wenlock 
epoch of t he Silurian  
Note 1 to entry:     See Table 1. 
3.1.535  
wollas tonite 
silicate m ineral, the formula of w hich is CaSiO3 
3.1.536 
xenoblas tic mineral 
mineral  constituent  of  a  metamorphic  rock  which  has  grown  without  the  develo pment  of  its 
characteristic crystal faces 
3.1.537  
xenocryst  
crystals “foreign” and un related to t he host igneous rock 
Note 1 to entry:     They  may represent crystals or disaggreg ated xenoliths plucked off the margins of the 
magma chamber or plumbing system. 
3.1.538  
xenolith 
rock fragments incorporated in an igneous rock, plucked off the margins of the magma chamber or 
plumbing system 
3.1.539  
zeoli te 
group of m inerals, aluminium silicate hydrat es, with one or more of Na, K, Ca, Sr, Ba, and o ther elements DRS 515: 2022  
85                ©RSB 2022  - All rights reserved  
 3.1.540  
zircon  
mineral, Zr SiO4 
3.1.541  
zoisi te 
mineral Ca2Al3(SiO4)3(OH)  
3.1.542  
zoning 
concentric  band s, sectors, patches patter ns of va riable chemical composition, formed within a m ineral  
3.2 Quarrying terms  
3.2.1  
air bag 
quarry ing device, consisting of a thin-walled metal or rubber  bag, which can be inserted in the vertical cut 
made in the bench and pu mped up w ith air or water, causing the block to turn over  
3.2.2  
bedding plane  
quarry men's term for nearly horizontal  rock mass discontinuities along  which a rock tends  to split or break 
readily  
3.2.3  
bit 
drill tipped w ith diamond or carborundum, used as tool in a d rilling machine 
3.2.4  
black  powder   
©RSB 2022 - All rights reserved                  86 
 deflagra ting explo sive made up of a mixture  contain ing about  2/3 potas sium nitrate and 1/3 of equal parts  of 
veget al carbon a nd sulphur 
3.2.5  
block  squari ng 
operation by w hich raw blocks are brought to a re gular s hape and ave rage di mensions 
3.2.6  
boulder  
a)    fragment of rock, usually  large ( more than 256 mm) and rounded in shape; 
b)    massive   body   in   granitoid   rocks,   which   has   remained   unweathered   in   the   disintegrat ed 
outcropping portion of a  depos it 
3.2.7  
bulk stone 
big pieces  or blocks removed ( separated) fr om the rock mass  in natu ral stone quarrie s, before any ot her work 
such as regul ar shape cut, or  sawn can be done  
3.2.8  
chan nelling flame j et 
 jet burner  
cutting device used for fl ame channell ing. It consists of a kero sene-fuelled to rch, capable of deve loping a 
2 500 °C te mperatu re whereby ro ck is broken out 
3.2.9  
clay hole  
hole, from 5 mm  to 25 mm  of diameter, filled with clay, occasionally found in marble, limestone and 
sandstone bl ocks, resulting from karstic processes 
3.2.10  
clot DRS 515: 2022  
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 group  of dark minerals in igneo us rocks, ranging in size from a few centimetres to one meter or more, that 
may be a  segregation  or a xenol ith 
3.2.11  
core  
cylinder of stone obta ined by dr illing with drilling devices 
3.2.12  
crack  
fissure in stone, vi sible to the naked eye  
3.2.13 
defective block  
block showing evident (or presumed  internal)  defects of various kinds (structural, textural, chromatic etc.) 
3.2.14  
deposit  
gross volume of mineral  reserve with variable exten sion and configuration, and potentially explo itable for t he 
production of natural stone 
3.2.15  
detonating fuse 
fuse with a detonating explosive core (generally  pentr ite) widely used in quarr ies both to detonate charges 
of different k inds of explos ive and actual charge for expl osives as such 
3.2.16  
derrick  
guy derrick  
crane cons isting of a bo om fastened to a pivoting mast, capable of o perating in a 360°  radius 
3.2.17   
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 diamond bead  
electroplated  or sintered  diamond-coated cylinder,  which is the cutting agent of a d iamond wire 
3.2.18  
diamond wire  
cutting tool consisting of a multi-strand  steel cable  onto which diamond beads  and other elements 
(spacers, pres sers, joints, etc.) are threade 
Note 1 to entry:     It may be entirely metallic or have a plastic or rubber sheath. 
3.2.19 
diamond wire saw  
cutting device consisting of an eng ine section trav elling on tra cks and dr iving the diamond wire 
3.2.20 
dynamic spli tting 
quarry ing technique consisting of a controlled  use of linear explos ive charges, inserted  in co-planar and parallel 
holes at su itable distances, and fired simultaneo usly 
3.2.21 
down  hole ham mer drill 
rotary -percussion   drilling   machine   in   which   the   hammer   is   positioned   inside   the   hole,   thus 
guarante eing the mass of the piston to be in direct conta ct with the drill tip 
3.2.22  
drill rod  
piece of steel of varying length  with a cutting edge at one end and used for track drills and drilling 
machines 
3.2.23 
drill sharpe ner DRS 515: 2022  
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 equipment w ith an abrasive gr indwheel used to restore t he correct cutt ing profile of t he drills 
3.2.24 
expa nsive mor tar 
chemical product, used as a separa tion system together with discontinuous drilling. Mixed w ith wa ter, it is 
capable to develop exp ansion forces  that suffice to break up any ro ck 
3.2.25  
flame -jet 
technology for quarr ying rocks (especially granitic) using the action of a concentrat ed flame at high 
temperature (> 2 000 °C) 
3.2.26  
fault  
fracture w ith displacement of the sides 
3.2.27  
flags tone 
stone paving, consisting of cubic/parallelepipedal, roughly processed, elements, generally  laid on a bed 
of sand, ty pically used for roads  and t raffic areas, hard thin bedded  sandstone splitting into thin slabs 
Note 1 to entry:     In some countries is also used for some metamorphic rocks splitting  into thin slabs. 
3.2.28  
frees tone 
stone t hat can be s haped  and dres sed with eq ual ease in any d irection w ithout splitting 
3.2.29  
grain  
easy way  
particular  surface of many rocks characterized by a less pronounced split ability and cleavab ility than  
©RSB 2022 - All rights reserved                  90 
 “cross-cut” but better than  “vein-cut” 
Note 1 to entry:     It often occurs at right angle both to “cross-cut” and “vein-cut”. The easiest cleavage direction 
in a stone. “With the grain” is  the same as “natural bed.” Also, the composition and texture of particles, crystals, 
sand, or ro ck. 
3.2.30 
hairli ne fissure  
pelo 
cutter  
leptoclase  
micro-fissure in a stone material, barely perceptible  to the naked  eye, and often  detectable by wetting t he 
surface 
3.2.31  
horizo ntal cut  
cut performed at the base  of the bench itself when isolating a benc h, which may deviate significantly from  
a precise horizontal plane  
3.2.32  
joint lithoclase  
surface  of  actual  or  potential  parting  within  a  rock  along  which  there  has  been  practically  no 
displacement  
3.2.33  
key-way 
open ing in the bench ma de at a r ight angle to t he bench to enable further cutting operat ions 
3.2.34 
loop (cutting)  
configuration  used  when cutting with diamond wire in which the volume of the rock to be separa ted is en closed 
within a permanently  tensioned diamond wire  lo op,  w hich may be  rising (diamond wire DRS 515: 2022  
91                ©RSB 2022  - All rights reserved  
 machine in upper position), or des cending (diamond w ire machine in lower  position) 
3.2.35 
open  cast quarry  
quarry w here operations are perfo rmed from the surface 
3.2.36  
overburden  
loose soil, sand, gravel or  similar material above a depos it that is stripped off when open ing a quarry  
3.2.37 
percussion  drilling  
execution of  holes with disaggregat ion of the rock only by means  of impact (hammering) 
3.2.38  
piston jack 
device used to turn over parts  of the bench and consisting of a hydraulic pump unit and one or more jacks 
3.2.39 
plug a nd feathers 
device for cleaving benc hes and blocks of stone, consisting of a wedg e, with two toggle -bolts (counter- wedge s) 
to be inserted  into the holes of a discontinuo us drilling line, and to be manually struck with a heavy hammer 
3.2.40  
quarry  
basic productive unit where all opera tions involving the exploitation  of a depos it are carried out, and 
where the raw matter is extracted 
3.2.41 
quarry be nch  
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 step-like portion of rock in a quarry  
3.2.42  
quarry face  
quarry fro nt 
part of t he quarry w here excavation takes  place 
3.2.43  
quarry floor  
part of the quarry onto  which the cut bench  is turned over and where operations such as block squaring 
and hauling are carried out 
3.2.44 
rotary-percussion  drilling 
execution of  holes with disaggregat ion of the rock by means  of combined pe rcussion and rotation  
3.2.45 
rough block  
basis of the usable stone consisting of rocks obtained directly from quarries erratics with no processing 
whatsoever except extract ion and s haping by cutting or splitting 
3.2.46 
rough -hewn 
surface condition as  quarried 
3.2.47  
sheeting  
gently d ipping joints that are essentially paral lel to the ground surf ace 
Note 1 to entry:     See 3.1.152 . DRS 515: 2022  
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 3.2.48  
slicke nside 
striations, groov es and p olish on jo ints and fault surfaces 
3.2.49 
static spl itting 
quarry ing technique to section a rock involv ing the insertion of wedges/rock splitter into co-planar and parallel 
holes drilled a long a pre-defined l ine 
3.2.50 
strike of a rock  
interse ction line of an inclined layer or plane with the horizontal  plane;  it is perpendicular to the direction 
of the dip 
3.2.51  
toe 
lower edge of the quarry face 
3.2.52 
tracks drills  
chan nelling drills  
drilling machine travelling on tracks and used in quarry ing to make  a line of closely spaced holes into which 
bars are d riven to break out t he stone 
3.2.53 
undercut toe cut  
horizontal  cut in the face of a stone quarry  
3.2.54  
undergrou nd  
©RSB 2022 - All rights reserved                  94 
 method for exploitation of a quarry  where activities are carried on inside the mass of rock, without contact 
with the external  environment, ex cept for access routes 
3.2.55 
vertical head cut 
when isolating a benc h, each  of the two vertical cuts at a right angle  to the quarry-face, defining the lateral 
limits of the bench itself 
3.2.56 
void 
very t hin blind hole in the surface of a natural  stone 
3.3 Processing terms  
3.3.1  
abrasive slurry  
slurry cons isting of water  and abras ive, used for wire sawing 
3.3.2  
abrasive ness 
intrinsic property of a  stone to wear t he tools used to pro cess it (cutt ing, finishing, s haping etc.) 
3.3.3  
antique finish ing ma chine 
gener ic term indicating any machine used to perform processing for ant ique finishing 
3.3.4  
arm polisher  
 hand polis her 
power  driven machine for rubbing or polishing, consisting of a polisher mounted on a swivel arm, generally  
hand ope rated DRS 515: 2022  
95                ©RSB 2022  - All rights reserved  
 3.3.5  
axed fi nish 
rough and rugged surf ace achieved by using a punch or axe  
3.3.6  
belt polisher  
automatic machine consisting of a feed belt and a  series of po lishing heads with vary ing grit sizes 
3.3.7  
block  cutter 
sawing machine consisting of a horizontal diamond disk and a series of vertical diamond disks, used for the 
production of  standa rd-sized dimensional stone 
3.3.8  
block  saw 
bridge saw fitted with a l arge d iamond di sk used for primary sawing 
3.3.9  
 bossed  
split surface finishing used to prod uce bosses and bossed surf aces 
Note 1 to entry:     It may be performed manually, with broad-blade chisels, or mechanically. 
3.3.10  
bridge saw  
cutting machine for secondary  cuts and cut-to-size opera tions, consisting of a mobile bridge  driving a spindle 
with a diamond  disc; the movements of the bridge and the spindle being combined in order to 
work on t he plane w here the slab is placed 
3.3.11 
bush -hammering   
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 impact surf ace finishing executed with a b ush hammer, and p roducing dotted markings 
Note 1 to entry:     It can be performed manually or me chanically. 
3.3.12 
bush hamme red finish 
finish obt ained by us ing a bush hammer or a bush hammering machine 
Note 1 to entry:     Bush hammer  is a percussion tool for roughening a surface, with a square head and with 
few pyr amidal percussion teeth or points. 
Note 2 to entry:     Bush  hammer ing  machine  is  a  machine  consisting  of  feed  rolls  and  a  overh anging  
beam suppor ting a pneumatic bush hammer. 
3.3.13  
brushi ng 
surface finishing created by using particular flex ible abras ives 
3.3.14  
calibra ting 
mechanical removal of mater ial from the surface to ensure  its planarity and the constancy of thickness within 
pre-defined toler ance limits 
3.3.15 
calibra ting mac hine 
machine used to per form calibrating opera tions 
3.3.16  
chain  saw 
machine  for squaring  b locks and/or cutting them into  slabs/thick element s,  whose  cutting system 
makes use of a  chain installed on a mob ile arm and fitted w ith abras ives tools 
3.3.17  DRS 515: 2022  
97                ©RSB 2022  - All rights reserved  
 chamfer  
oblique bevel  on the visible edges  of some  stone products (tiles,  steps) to eliminate the sharp edge  and 
avoid chipping of the material 
3.3.18 
chamfer ing mac hine 
machine used to pro duce bevels  and c hamfers in slab-like products. 
Note 1 to entry:     In tile lines, the section for the execution of lateral calibration and bevelling/chamfering on 
a tile 
3.3.19  
chiselli ng 
dressing of a stone surface with a c hisel 
3.3.20 
claw  chisel  
tooth chi sel 
percussion tool with a to othed edge  
3.3.21 
contouring mac hine  
shaping mach ine 
machine fitted with router bits or profile wheels for obtaining mould ed edges  
3.3.22  
corruga ted  
reeded  
surface finish formed by parallel  semi-cylindrical grooves  carved  in the rock  
©RSB 2022 - All rights reserved                  98 
 3.3.23 
cut-to-size 
operation to cut semi-finished products to the req uired s ize and shape 
3.3.24 
diamond abrasive  
abras ive tool  consisting of diamond parti cles 
3.3.25 
diamond belt saw  
machine  for  squaring  blocks  and/or  cutting  them  into  slabs/thick  elements  whose  cutting  system makes 
use of a  sintered diamond -tipped belt  stiffened by a metal bar, and  sliding in a closed circuit 
3.3.26 
diamond gang saw  
sawing device consisting of one or generally more metallic blades with diamond  coated edges  used for cutting 
stone rough  blocks by the abras ion produced by the backwar ds and forwar ds movement of the blades  
3.3.27 
diamond saw  finish 
smooth finish result ing from sawing a block with diamond bla des 
3.3.28 
diamond seg ment 
diamond con cretion we lded on cutting tools  such as blades, discs etc 
3.3.29 
 diamond tool 
cutting or finishing tool whose surface is coated with diamond po wder amalgamated with a binder 
3.3.30 DRS 515: 2022  
99                ©RSB 2022  - All rights reserved  
 dolly poi nted finish  
point finish 
semi-rough  finish  achieved  using  a  four  pointed  dolly  point  (bush  hammer  with  four  pyramidal 
percussion teeth or p oints) 
3.3.31  
dressi ng 
shaping and squaring of stone un its prior to fabri cation 
3.3.32 
drilli ng mach ine 
machine used to per form holes and seats  for anc horages  in clad ding 
3.3.33  
edge  
lateral surf ace of a slab-like element having dimensions defined by t hickness and length  
3.3.34 
edge  treatment 
grinding or other treatment  made to give a continuous and regula r-shaped profile to the edges  of the stone 
unit 
3.3.35 
edge polis her 
machine fitted with grinding and polishing heads for edge-polishing, and someti mes also for edge- 
chamfering, and cutt ing drips 
3.3.36  
epoxy resin  
resin characterised by excellent mechanical pro perties, high penetra tion and  strong  adhesive power   
©RSB 2022 - All rights reserved                  100 
 Note 1 to entry:     Widely used in different operations such as  restoration, reinforcement, reconstruction 
and consolidation of fragile stone elements. 
3.3.37 
filled fi nish 
having natural v oids in the surface of t he stone filled with putty and r esins or other mate rials 
3.3.38  
finish 
final surf ace app lied to the face of piece of rock during  fabrication 
3.3.39 
flamed f inish 
surface tex ture obt ained by thermal treatment t he stone using a high temperature fl ame 
3.3.40 
flami ng mach ine 
machine consisting of feed rolls  and a o verhanging beam  suppor ting a torch moving along  the beam 
3.3.41  
gang saw  
frame saw  
cutting device consisting of one or gene rally more  metallic blades mounted  on a frame, used for cutting stone 
rough blocks by the abras ion produced by the backwards and forwa rds movement  of the blades 
adding a slurry of water and abra sive into the  cut 
3.3.42 
grinding mach ine 
automatic machine gene rally consisting of a f eed belt and a series  of head w ith vary ing grit sizes 
3.3.43 DRS 515: 2022  
101                ©RSB 2022  - All rights reserved  
 abrasive fi nish 
surface treatment  (e.g. by means  of a grinding disk bonded  with silicon carbide) to produce a flat, uniform 
finish 
3.3.44  
groove  
channel of rectangular or  circular cross section cut into a slab 
3.3.45 
grou nd finish 
surface treatment w ith coarse abr asive ai med to eliminate the main surface irregular ities 
3.3.46  
guillo tine  
splitting mach ine 
machine used for the fab rication of  split faced p ieces of stones  
3.3.47  
hard way  
head  
tough way  
plane at r ight angle to t he rift and t he grain along  which splitting is most difficult 
3.3.48 
head ing mac hine 
cutting machine normally  included in a tile line for standar d-sized products, perfo rming performs  the square  
cutting of the initial and f inal part of the strips leaving a block cutter 
3.3.49 
honed finish  
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 surface finish having a dull polish or matt surf ace 
Note 1 to entry:     See also ground  finish and matt finish. 
3.3.50 
jib milling cutter 
simplest cutt ing machine, consisting of a mobile pal let with a col umn-jib-spindle un it on one  side 
3.3.51  
kerf 
continuous groove  cut into the side of a stone unit for the inserting of an choring  devices 
Note 1 to entry:     See also 3.4.1 . 
3.3.52 
matt finish 
surface treatment (e.g. by means of a silicon carbide bonded polishing disk with grain size F.400) to prod uce 
a very flat, u niform, but not po lished finish 
Note 1 to entry:     For silicon carbide bonded polishing disk with  grain size F.400 see also FEPA 42-GB-1984. 
Note 2 to entry:     See 3.3.62. 
3.3.53 
monoblade g ang saw  
cross cut saw  
 crosscu tter 
frame saw fitted with just one blade and used for blo ck squaring and pri mary sawing 
3.3.54 
multi-disc circular  saw 
machine for the elabora tion of stone, cons isting of a bridge saw fitted with a series of circular  saw blades  
used for dimension sawing DRS 515: 2022  
103                ©RSB 2022  - All rights reserved  
 3.3.55 
natural s tone product  
worked p iece of naturally  occurring rock used in building and for mon uments 
3.3.56 
natural cleft f inish  
rock  faced fi nish 
finish  for  rocks  such  as  slate  and  quartzite,  resulting  from  splitting  or  separat ing  stone  along  t he 
cleavage pla ne and showing  the natural r ock face  
3.3.57 
oil-repellent  
resistance to impregnat ion with oily substances achieved on a  stone surf ace by specific products 
3.3.58 
on-site finishing 
execution of finishing in situ (e.g.: poli shing flooring) after installation 
3.3.59  
oxalic acid  
organ ic  acid  (H2C2O4) used  in  the  final  stage  of the  traditional  polishing  of  marbles,  event ually  in 
combination w ith other substances  
3.3.60 
pointed f inish 
semi-rough f inish ac hieved by u sing a point chisel 
3.3.61  
polyes ter resin  
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 class of synthetic heat-hardened  resins characterised by good  mechanical proper ties, high viscosity, high 
adhesive capacity and poor r esistance to UV  radiation. Widely used for fix ing, repa irs and jo ints 
3.3.62 
polished f inish 
surface treatment (e.g. by means of a po lish disk or felt) to prod uce a high gl oss finish 
3.3.63  
polishi ng line 
automatic machine gene rally consisting of a f eed belt and a series  of heads with vary ing grit sizes 
3.3.64  
poté 
conventional  powder  mixture  consisting of metallic tin, sulphur and tin dioxide used as polishing agent with 
some stones, and as an add itive for oxa lic acid in trad itional po lishing of marbles 
3.3.65  
primary cut  
sawing of blocks to prod uce a sem i-finished pro duct (slab, t hickness piece, solid work piece etc.)  
3.3.66  
ribbi ng  
groovi ng 
mechanical surface finishing producing linear markings, performed manually with chisels of vario us type 
and mechanically 
3.3.67 
riven  cut finish 
rugged surface prod uced by splitting a stone 
3.3.68  DRS 515: 2022  
105                ©RSB 2022  - All rights reserved  
 rough slab  
flat surface semi-finished product with unfinished edges  obtained by sawing or splitting from a rough blo ck 
3.3.69  
tumbl ing  
rumbli ng 
process to produce manufactured stone masonry units with randomly  irregular  arises, corners and surfaces,  
carried  out  with  special  vibrating  machines  (vibration  tumblers  or  vibration  finishers) 
designed to mass treat s urfaces 
3.3.70 
sand blas ted finish  
shot blas ted finish 
matt finishing resulting of impact of the sand or other abras ive gra ins expell ed by a sand jet  
3.3.71 
sand-blasting mac hine 
machine used for  sand-blasting processes 
3.3.72 
sawn  finish 
finish  resulting  from  the  gang,  block-cutter  or  diamond -wire  sawing  of  the  rock,  without  further treatment  
3.3.73 
semi -polish ing 
polishing finishing performed exclusively on the parts  w ith  higher relief of  semi-finished, slab-like prod ucts 
that does not affect the more  recessed parts; producing a true polishing only  in the most prom inent zon es, and 
not to be confused with the final stage of honing, a lso known as  semi-polishing 
3.3.74 Commented [IU1]: Are they synonyms?   
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 shaping mach ine  
contouring mac hine 
machine for t he fabri cation of specially des igned stone un its 
3.3.75 
shot-blasting 
impact surface finishing involv ing blasting peens in cast iron-steel against the surface of the material, and 
producing dotted  markings 
3.3.76 
shot-blasting mach ine 
machine used in shot-blasting 
3.3.77 
silicon  carbide  
carboru ndum  
artificial abras ive substance (CSi) with very high hardness  (9,6, Mohs scale)  and primary constituent of 
abras ives and t ools 
3.3.78  
split 
cutting the rock along one preferential splitting plane with a c hisel or gu illotine, usually  by hand 
3.3.79 
splitting mach ine  
hydraulic spli tter 
splitting  device  cons isting  of  a  hydrau lic  or  air  driven  pump  unit  operated  by  an  electrical  or 
combustion engine and one or more rock-splitting cylinders  used for the fabrication of split faced curbing 
and cubic  stone Commented [IU2]: Synonyms?  
Commented [IU3]: Synonyms?  DRS 515: 2022  
107                ©RSB 2022  - All rights reserved  
 3.3.80 
stationary si ngle diam ond wire plant  
machine for primary cuts equipped with a single diamond wire used for squaring off opera tions and the 
production of slabs/thickness pieces 
3.3.81 
stationary mul tiple di amond wire plant  
unit  for  primary  cuts  e quipped  with several  wire  circuits  of  adjacent diamond wires  used  for  the 
production of slabs/thickness pieces 
3.3.82  
steel shot  
abras ive used in saw ing granite blocks 
3.3.83  
template 
pattern, usually of thin board or woo d, used as  a guide for cutt ing a stone un it 
3.3.84 
texture finish  
dressed finish  
texture  finish, the modified appea rance of a piece of rock resulting from one or several  mechanical or 
thermal surf ace trea tments 
3.3.85 
tooled fi nish 
mach ine tooled f inish 
a)    finish resulting from the mechanical surface trea tment w ith too ls; 
b)    fressed finish clearly  showing tool marks  
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 3.3.86 
water jet 
cutting device consisting of a nozz le proje cting a pre ssurized t hin jet of wate r, with or without abras ive 
3.3.87 
water-jet plant  
equipment for both cutting and finishing rock, using water  at high pressure, eventu ally combined with abras ive 
substances  
3.3.88 
water-repell ent 
impermeab ility to water achieved on a  stone surf ace by apply ing specific products 
3.3.8 
water/sludge d epura tion and treatm ent plant 
plant for trea tment of w aste water and sludges  produced in a proces sing plant  
3.3.90 
waxed fi nish 
chemical treatment appli ed to the surf ace of a  stone and mainly intended for maintenan ce and  care 
3.3.91  
widia  
very hard alloy b ased on tungsten carbide and  cobalt (or n ickel), used in numero us tools 
3.3.92  
wire saw  
sawing device consisting of a twisted three-strand wire cable, running over pulleys,  cuting stone by 
abras ion, by means of a slurry of water and abr asive fed into the cut  DRS 515: 2022  
109                ©RSB 2022  - All rights reserved  
 3.4 Products and installation terms  
3.4.1  
anchor  
retent ion device or element to fix a slab or a dimensioned stone, usually to a wall, usually for cladding 
or lining 
3.4.2  
ashlar  
small  block  of  stone,  shaped  and  squared,  with  a  roughly  regular  form  used  as  a  construction  or 
masonry el ement 
3.4.3  
beari ng length 
length of t he end of a lintel which bea rs on its support 
3.4.4  
bed joint  
horizontal j oint in masonry 
3.4.5  
bindero  
stone element, very often in porphyry, and mostly used for paving, where the upper  face (exposed)  is a natural 
plane one and the edges  are splitted 
3.4.6  
bracket  
corbel  
support that proj ects horizontally fr om a masonry surf ace 
3.4.7   
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 book -match installation 
installation  geometry  where slabs adjacent to each other in the original block are installed in situ in double 
pairs with aligned  joints to show the symmetry of t he veins at the joints (in two d irections) 
3.4.8  
claddi ng 
slabs cut to size which form a wall covering for outside and inside use, fixed to a structure either by 
anchors or by means  of mortar or a dhesives 
3.4.9  
closed joi nt 
installation  of stone el ements in floors or cladding where the distance  between  the elements is minimum, 
scarcely vi sible 
3.4.10  
cramp  
U-shaped pie ce of metal used to tie stone un its together or to t heir backing 
3.4.11 
cut sh eet 
fabrication draw ing detailing piece mark, locat ion and dimensions of each single stone u nit 
3.4.12 
contrasting arc i nstallation  
layout  in a pattern forming  arcs where every  arc makes contra st with the adjacent arc and the sides of the 
paved ar ea in flooring with small cubes 
3.4.13 
dimension stone work  
stone e lement (thi ckness >80 m m) prep ared to sp ecific dimensions for inside or ou tside appli cation DRS 515: 2022  
111                ©RSB 2022  - All rights reserved  
 3.4.14  
dowel  
anchor consisting in a cylindr ical metal bar which is introd uced into the edge of  a slab or a dimensioned stone 
to fix it to a wall,  usually for  cladding or lining 
3.4.15  
drip 
rectangul ar inset,  made in the lower  part of manufacts exposed  to water  run-off (e.g.:  window ledges) 
and intended to facilitate the collection in drops  and the prec ipitation of water 
3.4.16  
effloresce nce 
whitish powder sometimes  found  on the surface of stones and masonry,  caused  by the depo sition of 
soluble salts carried t hrough or into the surf ace by moisture 
3.4.17 
execu tive draw ing 
detailed dra wing of a  project containing specific information about  the stone el ements and t heir installation  
(geometry,  d imens ions,  re ference quotas, finishing, machining opera tions, fo rmats, anchorages) and e very 
other element nee ded to d efine a pr ocessing list/order 
3.4.18  
joint 
interrup tion in the substrate, or between stone elements installed  in cladding and paving/floo ring, requ ired to 
allow several technical phenomena to take place (heat expa nsion, settling of the load- bearing structure, 
homogeneo us distribution of the tensions etc.) 
3.4.19  
face 
surface of a pie ce of stone intended to be see n in use  
©RSB 2022 - All rights reserved                  112 
 3.4.20  
filmog enous 
prote ctive chemical substance that acts by creating a film of the surface of a  stone material 
3.4.21 
genoa floori ng 
traditional  type of flooring where small compositional  irregu lar elements (5 mm to 7 mm), are mixed and cast 
at random (seeding), or follow ing a precise pattern, in a layer of  cement b inder 
3.4.22  
grout  
pulp of sem i-liquid cons istency, used to fill voids and seal jo ints (like those between t iles) 
3.4.23  
inlay 
stone  product  (but  also  in  other  materials,  e.g.:  wood),  of  very  high  decorative  value,  composing 
variously shaped pieces placed in slots prepared in advan ce in the underl ying support  slab 
3.4.24 
installation with adhesive stratum 
installation of cladding/flooring using morta rs based on plastic binders (glues) 
3.4.25  
iridesc ence 
exhibition of  coloured reflections  from a mineral; a  play of colours 
3.4.26 
load-beari ng anchor 
anchor connecting a stone element to a  structure perform ing load-bearing functions DRS 515: 2022  
113                ©RSB 2022  - All rights reserved  
 3.4.27  
maso nry 
construction of  stone, bricks or blo cks 
3.4.28  
mock -up 
simulation of the ultimate installation  of a stone project in the workshop for purposes such as control, 
verification and final te sting 
3.4.29  
modular  tile cut  
size tile 
modular tile is a piece of natural  stone in standard sizes, obtained by cutting or splitting at a thickness less  
than 12  mm, to be f ixed to a structure by means of mortar or adhesives 
3.4.30 
mortar installation 
conventional  system for the installation of stone elements where a bed of mortar  is distributed  between the base 
of the stone e lement itself and t he main support  
3.4.31  
mosaic  
technique used in floor or wall  decoration involving the insertion of small pieces (tesserae) mounted on the 
underl ying surface through a support (cement, c halk etc.) 
3.4.32  
notch 
v-shaped indentation made along  the edg es of a stone panel for t he insertion of an choring devices 
Note 1 to entry:     See also anchor and 3.3.44.  
3.4.33  
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 open-book  installation  
installation  geometry  where slabs adjacent to each other in the original block are installed in situ in pa irs 
with aligned jo ints to show the symmetry of the veins at the joints 
3.4.34  
open  face 
surface of a stone el ement which remain visible aft er the installation of  the element itself 
3.4.35  
open  joint 
installation  of stone elements in floors or cladding where the distance between  the elements is clearly 
visible (normally  greater  than 4 m m) 
3.4.36 
opus i ncertum  
traditional  typology  of paving where slabs of irregular shape, dimension and thickness (often  with split surface), 
installed  in situ without any geo metrical order  
3.4.37 
opus roma num  
roman  mosaic  
typology  of  flooring  consisting  of  regular  elements  (square,  rectangular,  polygonal)  arranged  with 
geometrical order, often to form repetitive patt erns 
3.4.38  
palladian  
paving/floo ring with the opus  incertum technique but  with some differences (e.g.:  larger element s, saw- 
cut surf ace, smooth surfaces, joints sealed with cement grout et c.) 
3.4.39  DRS 515: 2022  
115                ©RSB 2022  - All rights reserved  
 pallet  
wooden base used to tra nsport, support  storage and shipment of vario us goods 
3.4.40 
peacock  tail installation  
in floo ring with small cubes, a peculiar lay out whose geo metry r esembles a peacock tail 
3.4.41 
pebble -stone 
paving in stone consisting of pebble s/cobbles of one, or more,  stones juxtap osed betw een each ot her 
3.4.42  
putty 
stiff paste used to fill cracks or ho les in natural  stone 
3.4.43  
reinforce ment; liner 
the strengt hening of fragile  or unsound stone by laminating fibreglass  or similar material to the back of the 
slabs 
3.4.44 
retainer  anchor  
anchor connecting a stone element to a  structure without pe rforming load-bearing functions 
3.4.45  
riser  
upright member between  two stairs treads 
3.4.46 
rubble s tone  
©RSB 2022 - All rights reserved                  116 
 natural stone masonry u nit, of any s hape, with va riable d imens ions, wh ose face is rough or wor ked 
3.4.47 
Running 
 free le ngth 
installation  geometry  of floors  where the stone elements have a fixed width  and a variable length, but normally 
within maximum and m inimum limits (at least 1.5 times the width) 
3.4.48 
sandwich p anel 
panel  made up of a thin slab in stone material (3 ÷ 12 m m) supported  by an armature  in another material, 
required for the necessary rigidity and compactness (e.g.: honeycomb, aluminium, fibre 
glass+res ins etc.) 
3.4.49  
sampli ng 
preliminary supply  for demonstration purposes of sem i-finished products (e.g.: slabs, sol id pieces, 
strips) or finished goods (e.g.: t iles) repr esentative of f inal supply 
3.4.50  
seala nt 
elastic adhesive compound u sed to seal stone ven eer joints 
3.4.51  
seaso ning 
process of storing stone after quarr ying to reduce its moisture content  and bring it to proper condition for use  
3.4.52 
semi -finished DRS 515: 2022  
117                ©RSB 2022  - All rights reserved  
 referr ed to any stone material after the primary cut requiring further processing operations  to get a final 
product ready for  installation  
3.4.53 
shop drawi ng; shop  ticket 
detailed drawing showing dimens ions, location, finishing and anchoring system, which may be used by the 
fabricator to draw up  a cut sheet 
3.4.54  
simple kerf  
linear groove performed  on the head or the edge  of a stone element (e.g. slab), along  its entire lengt h, 
and u sed to anchor the element itself in claddings 
3.4.55  
slab 
flat p iece of na tural stone obtained by cutting or splitting at a nom inal thickness > 12 mm  
3.4.56  
slot 
short gr oove cut in the back or t he edge  of a stone panel for insertion of an a nchor 
3.4.57  
smollero  
stone element, often  in porphyry, and mostly used  for paving, where the upper head (exposed) and the 
edges  are split proces sed, and t he two late ral faces show the natural plane of the quarry  
3.4.58  
strip 
slab-like semi-finished element where the thickness is  much  less than the other two di mensions, 
normally p roduced from unders ized and irregular blocks  
©RSB 2022 - All rights reserved                  118 
 3.4.59 
surface treatm ent 
application of certain materials (i.e. chemicals) to the exposed f ace of a  slab 
3.4.60 
tolera nce 
difference, w ithin def ined  limits, of a nu meric value c haracterising a stone prod uct (e.g.: lengt h, 
thicknes s, plana rity) or one of its attributes 
3.4.61  
translucency 
transparency effect in some stone materials (crystalline marble,  alabaster, onyx),  attainable even  with 
routine thicknes ses (2 cm  ÷ 3 cm), when they are  observed ag ainst the light 
3.4.62  
vanity-top 
universal term for the tops of sinks and w ash-basins 
3.4.63  
vein 
decorative motif typical of certain stones appea ring as a band  clearly  distinguishable from the bottom colour. 
It may be a s ingle-coloured,  multi-coloured, more or less  broad, regul ar, sinuous etc 
3.4.64 
vene tian floori ng 
traditional  type of flooring where small compositional irregular  elements (5 mm ÷ 20 mm), are mixed and  cast 
at random (seeding), or in accordance  with a precise pattern,  in a layer  of still-fresh cement binder 
3.4.65 
ventilated façade  DRS 515: 2022  
119                ©RSB 2022  - All rights reserved  
 typology  of building façade where the cladding is separated  from the support wall by a specific gap and 
including an adequa te ventilation between t he cladding itself and t he support wall  
3.4.66  
wainscot 
stone strip with an elongated  rectangular  shape, positioned around  the perimeter  of an environment 
(mostly in interiors) or n ear the steps in a staircase 
3.4.67  
work  size 
size of a masonry  unit specified for its manufacture, to which the actual size should confo rm within specified 
permissible deviat ions 
4 Scientific classifications  
Geological time sc ale (informative) 
Table 1 — Abbreviated chronostratigraphic table 
Million 
years Eonothem Erathem System Series 
2.6 Phanerozoic enozoic Quater nary Holocene 
Pleistocene 
23 
Tertiary Neogene Pliocene 
Miocene 
66 Paleogene Oligocene 
Eocene 
Paleocene 
145 Mesozoic Cretaceous upper  
lower 
201 Jurassic upper  
middle 
lower  
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 252 Triassic upper  
middle 
lower 
298 Paleozoic Permian Lopingian 
Guadal upian 
Cisuralian 
358 Carboniferous Pennsylvanian 
Mississippian 
419 Devonian upper  
middle 
lower 
 Silurian Pridoli 
Ludlow  
Million years Eonothem Erathem System Series 
Wenlock 
443 
   Llandovery 
  rdovician  
485   middle 
  lower 
  Furongian 
   Cambrian Series 3 
   Series 2 
541 Terreneuvian 
 1000  
1600  
Precambrian Protero zoic Neo-proterozoic 
Meso- protero zoic 
2500  Paleo- protero zoic 
  4000  Archaean 
4600  Hadean  
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 Table 2 — Conventional hierarchy of formal chronostratigraphic and geochronologic terms 
Unit Or der Largest First Second Third Fourth 
Chronostratigraphic Eonothem Erathem System Series Stage 
Geochronologic Eon Era Period Epoch Age DRS 515: 2022  
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4.1 Scientific classification charts 
4.1.1  Igneous Rocks Classification Charts 
4.1.1.1  Plutonic Rocks (Mafic minerals < 90 % vol.)  
 
 
 
Figure 1 — Classification of plutonic rocks based on modal analysis under optical or electron 
scanning microscope 
 
Where:  
Q      quartz 
A      alkali feldspar 
P      plagioclase 
F      feldspathoid  
  
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Figure 2 — Classification of plutonic rocks based on mesoscopic modal analysis 
 
 
 
4.1.1.2  Gabbroic  rocks (Gabbro and Anorthosi te) 
 
 
 
 
 
 
DRS 515: 2022  
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Figure 3 — Gabbro ic rocks 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
4.1.1.3  Ultramafic rocks (Mafic minerals > 90 % vol.) 
 
 Where:  
Cpx: clinopyroxene  
Hbl: hornblende  
Ol: olivine  
Opx: Orthopyroxene  
Plag : plagioclase (An5 to An100)  
Px: pyroxene   
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a) 
 
 
b) 
Figure 4 — Ultramafic rocks 
4.1.1.4  Volca nic Rocks  
If a mineral mode cannot be determined owing to the aphanitic/glassy nature of the rock/groundmass, and a 
chemical analysis of the rock is available, the TAS (Total Alkali – Silica) classification should be used. The TAS 
rock names are given in Figure 4,  where SiO2 and Na2O+K2O contents (in weight%.) of fre sh rocks have to 
be plotted  after analysis has been recalculated  to 100 % vol. on H2O and CO2–free basis. For the rocks in 
the fields of trachybasalt, basaltic trachyandesite and trachyandesite, further subdivisions in the sodic and 
potassic varieties are advisable 
DRS 515: 2022  
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Figure 5 — Chemic al classification of volcanic rocks using TAS  
 
 
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Figure 6 — Classification of volcanic rocks based on modal analysis under optical or electron 
scanning microscope 
4.1.1.5  Volca nic Rocks (Pyroclas tic Rocks)  
Table 3 — Terms for pyroclastic — epiclastic rocks 
Average clast size in mm Pyroclastic Tuffites Epiclastic 
(volcanic and/or non- 
volcanic) (mixed pyroclastic- 
epiclastic) 
64 Agglomerate, Tuffaceous 
c o n g l o m e r a t e , Conglomerate, breccia 
    pyroclastic breccia  
2 Lapilli tuff    
1/16 (Ash) tuff coarse Tuffaceous sandstone            Sandstone 
Where,  
Q      silica minerals  
A      alkali feldspar including Plg with An0 -5 
P      plagioclase excluding Plg with An0 -5 
F      feldspathoid  DRS 515: 2022  
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 1/256  fine Tuffaceous siltstone               Siltstone 
   Tuffaceous mudstone, Mudstone, shale 
   shale  
Amount pyroclastic 100 % vol. to 75 %  
75 % vol. to 25  % vol.          25 % vol. to 0 % vol. material vol. 
 
 
 
Figure 7  — Classific ation of polymodal pyroclas tic rocks based on  the propor tions of blocks/ bombs 
lapilli a nd ash (Le Maitre 2002, p.8, af ter Fisher  1966)  
 
Table 4 — Classification of pyroclasts and pyroclastic rocks based on clast size 
Clast size in 
mm Pyroclast Pyroclastic deposit 
Mainly unconsolidated: 
tephra Mainly consolidated: 
pyroclastic rock 
64 bomb, block agglomerate bed of 
blocks or bomb, block 
tephra agglomerate pyroclastic 
breccia 
2 lapillus  layer,   bed   of   lapilli   or  
lapilli tephra  lapilli stone 
1/16 coarse ash grain  
fine ash grain (dust grain)  coarse ash 
fine ash (dust) coarse (ash) tuff 
fine   (ash)   tuff   (dust 
tuff) 
 
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 4.1.2  Sedim entary rocks classification charts 
4.1.2.1  General 
The classification of sedimentary rocks is based on mineral composition and on grain size. 
4.1.2.2  Classification of siliciclastic rudaceous rocks.  
 
Figure 8 — Classification of siliciclastic rudaceous rocks 
4.1.2.3  Classification of siliciclastic arenaceous rocks
 
Figure 9 — Classification of siliciclastic arenaceous rocks.  
4.1.2.4  4.2.2.4 Classifica tion of siliciclas tic are naceous s edimentary rocks accordi ng to 
composi tion 
 
DRS 515: 2022  
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 Figure 10 — Classification of siliciclastic arenaceous sedimentary rocks according to composition  
4.1.2.5  4.2.2.5 Sand stone Classification  
 
Figure 11 — Sandstone Classification  
4.1.2.6  4.2.2.6 Classification of Greywackes  
 
 
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 Figure 12 — Classification of Greywackes  
4.1.2.7  Classification of non -clastic siliceous rocks  
 
 
Figure 13 — Classification of non-clastic siliceous rocks 
4.1.2.8  Classification of limestones  
 
Figure 14 — Classification of limestones  
DRS 515: 2022  
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 4.1.2.9  Classification of limestones. Based in   
Table 5 — Classification of clastic limestones 
 
 
Allochems per volume More t han 10 % Allochems Less than 10 % Allochems Undisturbed 
bioherm 
limestone 
Sparry calcite 
predominant Micritic matrix 
predominant 1 %   vol.   to 
10 %       vol. 
Allochems Less     than 
1 %        vol. 
Allochems 
more than 25 % vol. Intraclasts Intrasparite Intramicrite Intraclast 
bearing micrite Micrite 
less than 
25 % vol. 
Intraclasts more than 25 %  
vol. Oo ids Oosparite Oomicrite Ooidbearing 
micrite 
less than 
25 %  
vol. Oo ids > 3:1 Biosparite Biomicrite Fossiliferous 
micrite 
3:1 to 
1:3 Biopelsparite Biopelmicrite Biolithite 
< 1:3 Pelsparite Pelmicrite Pelletiferous 
micrite Dismicrite 
 
4.1.2.10  Classification of dolostones  
  
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Figure 15 — Classification of dolostones 
4.1.2.11  Classification of carbonates according to dolomite content  
Table 6 — Carbo nates according to dolomite content 
Limestone 0 %     vol. to 9 % vol. 
Dolomite    
Dolomitic Limestone 10 %    vol. to 49 % vol. 
Dolomite    
Calcitic Dolomite 50 %    vol. to 89 % vol. 
Dolomite    
Dolomite 90 %   vol. to 100 %  vol. 
Dolomite    
 
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 4.1.2.12  Classification of non -carbonate salts  
 
Figure 16 — Classification of non -carbonate salts  
4.1.3  Most common specific  names of metamorphic rocks  
4.1.3.1  General  
Table 7 — General recommendation  
 Geol. Terms #  Geol. Terms # 
Amphibolite 3.1.17  Marble 3.1.2 91 
Blue schist 3.1.59  Migmatite 3.1.3 13 
Calc-silicate rock 3.1.7 7, 3.1. 63 Ophicarbonate 3.1.3 48 
Calcschist 3.1.73  Phyllite 3.1.3 82 
Eclogite 3.1.1 37 Quart zite 3.1.4 22 
Granulite 3.1.2 04 Slate 3.1.4 66 
Gneiss 3.1.1 89 Schist 3.1.4 41 
Hornfels 3.1.2 28   
4.1.3.2  Classification of marble according to dolomite content  
Table 8 — Marble according to dolomite content  
Calcitic marble 0 % vol. to 10 % vol. 
Calcitic-dolomitic marble 10 % vol. to 50  % vol. 
Dolomitic-calcitic marble 50 % vol. to 90  % vol. 
Dolomitic marble 90 % vol. to 1 00 % vol. 
 
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  DRS 515: 2022  
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 Annex  A 
(informative)  
 
Examples of petrographical families/groups used in building  
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
IGNEOUS ROCK S PLUTO NIC ROCKS  
 
 
Granite-Family quartz -rich granitoids 
alkali feldspar granite 
granite 
granodiorite 
tonalite 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Syenite-Family quartz al kali feldspar syenite 
alkali feldspar syenite 
foid-bearing alkali feldspar syenite 
quartz syenite 
syenite 
foid-bearing syenite 
quartz monzonite 
monzonite 
foid-bearing monzonite 
 
 
 
 
Diorite-Family quartz monzodiorite 
monzodiorite 
foid-bearing diorite 
quartz d iorite 
diorite 
foid-bearing monzodiorite 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Gabbro-Family quartz monzogabbro 
monzogabbro 
foid-bearing monzogabbro 
quartz gabbro 
norite 
olivine norite 
clinopyroxene norite 
gabbronorite 
olivine gabbronorite 
orthopyroxene gabbro 
gabbro 
olivine gabbro 
troctolite 
pyroxene hornblende gabbro  
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 hornblende gabbro 
foid-bearing gabbro 
 
  
 
Anorthosite-Family quartz a northosite 
anorthosite 
foid-bearing anorthosite 
 
Foid-Syenite-Family foid syenite 
foid monzosyenite 
 
Foid-Diorite-Family foid monzodiorite 
foid diorite 
 
Foid-Gabbro-Family foid monzogabbro 
foid gabbro 
Foidolite Family foidolite 
ULTRAMAFIC ROCKS  
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Peridotite-Family dunite 
plagioclase-bearing pyroxene per idotite 
pyroxene per idotite 
harzburgite 
lherzolite 
wehrlite 
pyroxene hornblende peridotite 
hornblende pe ridotite 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Pyroxenite-Family olivine pyroxenite 
plagioclase-bearing olivine pyroxenite 
olivine orthop yroxenite 
olivine websterite 
olivine clinopyroxenite 
pyroxenite 
plagioclase-bearing pyroxenite 
orthop yroxenite 
websterite 
clinopyroxenite 
olivine hornblende pyroxenite 
hornblende pyroxenite 
plagioclase-bearing hornblende pyroxenite DRS 515: 2022  
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Hornblendite-Family olivine pyroxene hornblendite 
olivine hornblendite 
pyroxene hornblendite 
plagioclase-bearing pyroxene hornblendite 
hornblendite 
 plagioclase-bearing hornblendite 
 
 VOLCANIC ROCKS 
 
 
Rhyolite-Family alkali feldspar rhyolite 
rhyolite 
dacite 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Trachyte-Family quartz al kali feldspar trachyte 
alkali feldspar trachyte 
foid-bearing alkali feldspar trachyte 
quartz tr achyte 
trachyte 
foid-bearing trachyte 
quartz la tite 
latite 
foid-bearing latite 
Andesite-Family andesite 
Basalt-Family basalt 
 
Phonolite-Family phonolite 
tephritic phonolite 
 
Basanite-Family phonolitic basanite 
basanite 
 
Tephrite-Family phonolitic tephrite 
tephrite 
 
 
Foidite-Family phonolitic foidite 
tephritic foidite 
foidite 
 
 Siliceous-Rocks-Family siliceous rocks 
 quartz are nite  
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SEDIME NTARY 
ROCKS  
 
 
Sandstone-Family quartz greywacke 
subarkose 
sublithic arenite 
subfeldspathic arenite 
 
 
 
Arkose-Family arkose 
arkose litharenite 
feldspathic arenite 
lithic arkose 
 lithic arenite 
 
  
 
 
Greywacke-Family greywacke 
feldspathic greywacke 
arkosic greywacke 
lithic greywacke 
Clay-Family claystone, shale 
Marl-Family marl 
 
 
 
 
Limestone-Family limestones 
dolomitic limestones 
mikritic limestones 
sparitic limestones 
oolithic limestones 
 
 
Dolomite-Family dolomites 
calcitic dolomites 
dolostones 
 
Evaporite-Family gypsum 
salt 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 Quart zite-Family quartz ite 
 
 
Gneiss-Family gneiss 
migmatite 
anatexite 
 
 
 
 
Fels-Family albite fels 
chlorite fels 
glimmer fels 
hornblende fels 
epidote fels DRS 515: 2022  
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MET AMOR PHIC 
ROCKS Serpentinite-Family serpentinite 
 
Amphibolite-Family amphibolite 
granulite 
Gree nschist-Family greenschist 
 
 
 
Slate/Schist-Family schist 
micaschists 
phyllite 
slate 
 
 
 
 
Marble-Family calcitic marble 
calcitic dolomitic marble 
dolomitic calcitic marble 
dolomitic marble 
ophicalcite 
Eclogite-Family eclogite DRS 515: 2022  
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©RSB 2022 - All rights reserved                  2 
 Bibliography  
[1] BOGGS S. JR. Petrology of Sedimentary Rocks. Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, England, 2009  
[2] BASTIDA J., LÓPEZ BUENDÍA A., URQUIOLA M. (2010). Natural Stone classification and specifications 
review. Global Stone Congress 2010  
[3] FETTES D., DESMONS J., eds. Metamorphic Rocks (A Classification and Glossary of Terms): (2007).  
Cambridge University Press, The Edinburgh Building, Cambridge CB2 8RU, U.K. xii + 244 p ages. ISBN 978 –
0–521–86810 –5 
[4] LE MAITRE (EDITOR). P. Bateman, A. Dudek, J. et al. Keller. A classification of Igneous Rock and Glossary 
of Terms: Recommendations of the international Union of Geological Sciences Subcommisson on Systematics 
of Igneous Ro cks. Blackwell Scientific publications, Oxford, United Kingdom, 1989  
[5] FOLK R.L. Practical petrographic classification of limestones. American Association of Petroleum Geologists 
BulletinK. 1959, V43 pp. 1 –38 
[6] KRAEFT U. Was bringt die Europäische Norm ung der Natursteinbranche. (1994). STEIN 5/1994. pp 36 -38 
[7] KEAREY P. Dictionary of geology. Penguin Book, Second Edition, 2001, 327 p.  
[8] UDDEN J.A. Mechanical composition of clastic sediments. Bull. Geol. Soc. Am. 1914, 25 pp. 655 –744  
[9] WENTWORTH K . A scale of grade and class terms for clastic sediments. J. Geol. 1922, 30 pp. 377 –392 
[10] FEPA -Standard 42 -1:2006, Grains of fused aluminium oxide, silicon carbide and other abrasive  
[11] FEPA -Standard 42 -2:2006, Grains of fused aluminium oxide, silico n carbide and other abrasive materials 
for bonded abrasives and for general applications Microgrits F 230 to F 2000  
[12] EN 1925:1999,  Natural stone test methods - Determi nation of water absorption coefficient by capillarity  
[13] EN 14581:2004,  Natural stone test methods - Determination of linear thermal expansion coefficient  
[14] EN 14579:2004,  Natural stone test methods - Determination of sound speed propagation [15]     EN 
14157:2004,  Natural stone test methods - Determination of the abrasion resistance [16]     EN 14205:2003,  
Natural stone test methods — Determination of Knoop hardness  
[17] EN 14231:2003,  Natural stone test methods - Determination of the slip resistance by means of the 
pendulum tester  
[18] EN 14580:2005,  Natural stone test methods - Determination of static elastic modulu  DRS 515: 2022  
3                ©RSB 2022  - All rights reserved  
 [19] EN 14158:2004,  Natural stone test methods - Determination of rupture energy  
[20] EN 13373:2003,  Natural stone test methods - Determination of geometric characteristics on units  
[21] EN 14147:2003,  Natural stone test methods - Determination of resistance to ageing by salt mist  
[22] EN 12370:1999,  Natural stone test methods - Determination of resistance to salt crystallisation  
[23] EN 14146:2004,  Natural stone test methods - Determinati on of the dynamic modulus of elasticity (by 
measuring the fundamental resonance frequency)  
[24] EN 1926:2006,  Natural stone test methods - Determination of uniaxial compr essive strength  
[25] EN 1936:2006,  Natural stone test methods - Determination of real density and apparent density, and of 
total and open porosity  
[26] EN 12372:2006,  Natural stone test methods - Determination of flexural strength under concentrated load  
[27] EN 12440:2008,  Natural stone - Denomination criteri  
[28] EN 12371:2010,  Natural stone te st methods - Determination of frost resistance  
[29] EN 13161:2008,  Natural stone test methods - Determination of flexural strength under constant moment  
[30] EN 13755:2008,  Natural stone test methods - Determination of water absorption at atmospheric pressure  
[31] EN 16140:2011,  Natural stone test methods - Determination of sensitivity to changes in appearance 
produced by thermal cycle  
[32] EN 14066:2013,  Natural stone test methods - Determination of resistance to ageing by thermal shock  
[33] EN 16301:2013,  Natural stone test methods - Determination of sensitivity to accidental st aining  
[34] EN 16306:2013,  Natural stone test methods - Determination of resistance of marble to thermal and moisture 
cycles  
[35] EN 1467:2012,  Natural stone - Rough blocks - Requirements  
[36] EN 1468:2012,  Natural stone - Rough slabs - Requirements  
[37] EN 12407,  Natural stone test methods - Petrographic examination  
[40] EN 1469,  Natural stone products - Slabs for cladding - Requirements  
[41]  EN 12059,  Natural stone products — Dimensional stone work — Requirements   
©RSB 2022 - All rights reserved                  4 
 [42] EN 13364,  Natural stone test methods - Determination of the breaking load at dowel hole  
[43] EN 12057,  Natural stone products - Modular tiles - Requirements  
[44] EN 12058,  Natural stone products - Slabs for floors and stairs – Requirements  
 DRS 515: 2022  
 
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