Definition
Aplite is a fine-grained granite composed mainly of feldspar and quartz
Gossan is intensely oxidized, weathered or decomposed rock, usually the upper and exposed part of an ore deposit or mineral vein.
Discoverer
Unknown
Cornish Gossen
Etymology
From German Aplit, from Greek haploos simple + -ite
From Cornish gossen from gos, blood from Old Cornish guit
Class
Igneous Rocks
Metamorphic Rocks
Sub-Class
Durable Rock, Hard Rock
Durable Rock, Medium Hardness Rock
Group
Plutonic
Not Applicable
Other Categories
Fine Grained Rock, Opaque Rock
Fine Grained Rock, Medium Grained Rock, Opaque Rock
Texture
Granular, Graphic
Rough, Sandy
Color
Black, Grey, Orange, Pink, White
Brown, Brown- Black, Gold, Green, Rust
Durability
Durable
Durable
Scratch Resistant
Yes
Yes
Appearance
Veined or Pebbled
Dull and Banded
Interior Uses
Bathrooms, Countertops, Decorative Aggregates, Entryways, Floor Tiles, Homes, Hotels, Kitchens, Stair Treads
Countertops, Decorative Aggregates, Interior Decoration
Exterior Uses
As Building Stone, As Facing Stone, Bridges, Paving Stone, Near Swimming Pools, Office Buildings, Resorts
As Building Stone, As Facing Stone, Paving Stone, Garden Decoration, Office Buildings
Other Architectural Uses
Curbing
Curbing
Construction Industry
As Dimension Stone
As Dimension Stone, Cement Manufacture, Construction Aggregate, for Road Aggregate
Medical Industry
Not Yet Used
Not Yet Used
Antiquity Uses
Artifacts, Monuments, Sculpture, Small Figurines
Artifacts
Commercial Uses
Curling, Gemstone, Laboratory bench tops, Small Sculptures, Tombstones
Cemetery Markers, Commemorative Tablets, Gemstone
Types
Not Available
Translocated gossan and Leakage gossan
Features
Available in lots of colors, Available in Lots of Colors and Patterns, Is one of the oldest rock
Clasts are smooth to touch, Easily splits into thin plates
Archaeological Significance
Monuments
Used
Not Yet Used
Famous Monuments
Data Not Available
Not Applicable
Sculpture
Used
Not Yet Used
Famous Sculptures
Data Not Available
Not Applicable
Pictographs
Not Used
Used
Petroglyphs
Not Used
Used
Figurines
Used
Not Yet Used
Formation
Aplites belong to intrusive igneous rocks which are mostly quart and alkali feldspar and are formed from residual eutectic granitic liquids and represent the final crystallization products of magma.
Earth movements can cause rocks to be either deeply buried or squeezed and hence the rocks are heated and put under great pressure.
Mineral Content
Amphibole, Biotite, Feldspar, Hornblade, Micas, Muscovite or Illite, Plagioclase, Pyroxene, Quartz
Apatite, Augite, Biotite, Bronzite, Calcite, Chert, Epidote, Feldspar, Hornblende, Micas, Plagioclase, Pyroxene, Quartz, Sulfides, Zircon
Compound Content
Aluminium Oxide, CaO, Iron(III) Oxide, FeO, Potassium Oxide, MgO, MnO, Sodium Oxide, Phosphorus Pentoxide, Silicon Dioxide, Titanium Dioxide
Aluminium Oxide, CaO, Fe, FeO, Silicon Dioxide, Sulphur
Types of Metamorphism
Burial Metamorphism, Cataclastic Metamorphism, Hydrothermal Metamorphism, Regional Metamorphism
Not Applicable
Types of Weathering
Chemical Weathering, Mechanical Weathering
Not Applicable
Types of Erosion
Chemical Erosion, Coastal Erosion, Wind Erosion
Chemical Erosion, Sea Erosion, Wind Erosion
Grain Size
Very fine-grained
Fine to Medium Grained
Fracture
Not Available
Conchoidal
Streak
White
White to Grey
Porosity
Less Porous
Highly Porous
Luster
Dull to Pearly to Subvitreous
Metallic
Compressive Strength
Not Available
Cleavage
Not Available
Not Available
Toughness
Not Available
Not Available
Transparency
Opaque
Opaque
Density
2.6 g/cm3
Not Available
Resistance
Heat Resistant, Wear Resistant
Heat Resistant, Impact Resistant, Pressure Resistant
Deposits in Eastern Continents
Asia
China, India, Iran, Saudi Arabia, Sri Lanka, Taiwan, Thailand, Turkey, Vietnam
China, India, Indonesia, Russia, Singapore, South Korea
Africa
Angola, Egypt, Madagascar, Namibia, Nigeria, South Africa
Cape Verde, Ethiopia, Ghana, South Africa, Western Africa
Europe
Austria, Belgium, Finland, France, Germany, Italy, Norway, Sardinia, Spain, Switzerland, The Czech Republic, Venezuela
Albania, France, Germany, Great Britain, United Kingdom
Others
Not Yet Found
Not Yet Found
Deposits in Western Continents
North America
Canada, USA
Canada, USA
South America
Not Yet Found
Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador
Deposits in Oceania Continent
Australia
Not Yet Found
New South Wales, South Australia, Western Australia