Difference Between Clay and Shale

Shale, simply put, is clay that has been cemented together into a rock.

Then what is clay?
Clay is not a rock.  It is tiny sediments that are stuck together in a putty form.



SHALE:

•   Sedimentary rock
•   Fine grained (can't seen the individual particles) 
•   Colour can be black, gray, red, brown, dark green, or blue
•   It's easy to break (it's not a hard rock)
•   It has different layers

CLAY:

•   Not a rock
•   Fine grain minerals that are stuck together
•   Usually brownish red coloured 
•   Slimy, soft texture