Pumice Rock Information

Often used as decorative landscape stones, pumice rocks are igneous rocks formed by the cooling of lava froth. When lava froth cools at a rapid rate, it forms pumice rocks with air pockets, that give them a sponge-like appearance.

Mostly tan or light gray in color, pumice comes in a variety of colors such as white, black, reddish-black, etc. White pumice is more common than black pumice.

The lighter the pumice, the higher its silica content, and the darker it is, the lower will be its silica content. The tiny holes and fine lines seen in a pumice rock, can be attributed to the large number of air pockets present in the lava froth. It's this airiness that is responsible for its light weight nature.

When lava imbibed with a lot of gases gushes out of a spewing volcano and comes in contact with the surrounding air, it cools at a rapid rate. The solidified rock formed contains several holes.

With time, heat, and intense pressure, these rocks crumble down into smaller pieces and upon disintegration, they combine with other rocks in the soil to form metamorphic rocks like slate, gneiss, and schist.

Pumice rocks are found in museums, science laboratories, personal care products, construction materials, etc. Readily available across the globe, this light rock is used for a variety of purposes.

Construction Material: Since the ancient Roman era, pumice rocks have been used in the construction of buildings and other structures. Today, the construction field utilizes the most amount of pumice rocks, wherein they are used to make concrete and concrete blocks. Moreover, due to its affordability, it is also widely used as decorative landscaping rock.

Exfoliation Purpose: Pumice rocks are nature's gift to mankind. These rocks are natural exfoliants that are capable of scrubbing off the dead cells from our body's skin surface. Ground pumice is also added to several face scrubs and exfoliants.

Soaps and Abrasives: The word 'pumice' refers to large pumice stones, while its powdered form is called 'pumicite'. This ground version is used in abrasive cleaners, polishes, hand soaps, scrubs, etc. It is also added to the cleaning products meant for glass, metal, and plastic, because of the sheen it imparts.

Animal Transport: Huge rocks are often found floating in the ocean after massive volcanic eruptions, and are even found washed up on the shorelines. They often form a means of transport for animals on water.