Present-day marine sediments around the emerged basaltic areas of Iceland and the Faeroe Islands are characterized by the abundance and predominance of smectites. Smectites increase regularly and systematically near volcanic areas. Their origin from (i) meteoric/deuteric weathering, (ii) hydrothermal products, (iii) neoformation in the marine environment or (iv) transformation during their transport to or stay in oceanic regions is considered in a comparative study of three types of environments on or near the Faeroe Islands. These are (1) a basaltic environment where phyllite minerals of deuteric and hydrothermal origin are abundant; (2) a soil environment formed on basaltic flows; (3) a marine sedimentary environment within adjacent sedimentary basins. This investigation clearly shows the link between hydrothermal and deuteric saponite-celadonite in basalt, Fe,Mg-smectite in Faeroe soils and Fe-smectite in marine sediments.