Definition
Blue Granite is an igneous rock and a variety of Larvikite, notable for the presence of thumbnail-sized blue crystals of feldspar
Hornblendite is a type of igneous plutonic rock consisting mainly of amphibole hornblende and is a type of Amphibolite rock
Discoverer
Unknown
Unknown
Etymology
From the color of rock, Blue
From German, Horn horn + blende
Class
Igneous Rocks
Igneous Rocks
Sub-Class
Durable Rock, Medium Hardness Rock
Durable Rock, Hard Rock
Other Categories
Fine Grained Rock, Opaque Rock
Coarse Grained Rock, Medium Grained Rock, Opaque Rock
Texture
Phaneritic
Banded, Foliated, Massive
Color
Black, Brown, Light to Dark Grey, White
Black, Brown, Green, Grey
Durability
Durable
Durable
Scratch Resistant
Yes
Yes
Appearance
Shiny
Foliated
Interior Uses
Decorative Aggregates, Floor Tiles, Flooring, Interior Decoration
Countertops, Decorative Aggregates, Entryways, Flooring, Homes, Hotels, Interior Decoration, Kitchens
Exterior Uses
As Building Stone, As Facing Stone, Paving Stone, Garden Decoration
As Building Stone, As Facing Stone, Paving Stone, Garden Decoration, Office Buildings
Other Architectural Uses
Curbing
Curbing
Construction Industry
As Dimension Stone, Cement Manufacture, Construction Aggregate, for Road Aggregate
As Dimension Stone, Building houses or walls, Cobblestones, Construction Aggregate, for Road Aggregate, Landscaping, Production of Glass and Ceramics, Roadstone
Antiquity Uses
Artifacts, Monuments, Sculpture, Small Figurines
Artifacts, Sculpture, Small Figurines
Commercial Uses
Cemetery Markers, Commemorative Tablets, Creating Artwork, Curling
Cemetery Markers, Commemorative Tablets, Creating Artwork
Types
Granite
Hornblende Gabbro and Hornblende Peridotite
Features
Available in lots of colors, Is one of the oldest rock
Clasts are smooth to touch, Matrix variable, Surfaces are often shiny
Archaeological Significance
Formation
Blue Granite is an igneous rock which is a variety of Larvikite and is known mainly for the presence of thumbnail-sized crystals of feldspar.
Hornblendite is a fine-grained, hard rock which is a type of metasomatite, essentially altered basalt. It forms with or without crystallization, either below the surface as intrusive rocks or on the surface as extrusive rocks.
Mineral Content
Albite, Amphibole, Apatite, Biotite, Feldspar, Hornblade, Ilmenite, Magnetite, Muscovite or Illite, Olivine, Plagioclase, Pyroxene, Quartz, Sulfides, Titanite, Zircon
Amphibole, Calcite, Hornblade, Magnetite, Plagioclase, Wollastonite
Compound Content
Aluminium Oxide, CaO, Iron(III) Oxide, FeO, Potassium Oxide, MgO, MnO, Sodium Oxide, Phosphorus Pentoxide, Silicon Dioxide, Titanium Dioxide
Aluminium Oxide, CaO, Iron(III) Oxide, FeO, Potassium Oxide, MgO, MnO, Sodium Oxide, Phosphorus Pentoxide, Silicon Dioxide, Titanium Dioxide
Types of Metamorphism
Burial Metamorphism, Cataclastic Metamorphism
-
Types of Weathering
Biological Weathering, Chemical Weathering
Biological Weathering, Chemical Weathering, Mechanical Weathering
Types of Erosion
Chemical Erosion, Coastal Erosion, Water Erosion
Chemical Erosion, Water Erosion, Wind Erosion
Grain Size
Medium to Fine Coarse Grained
Medium to Coarse Grained
Fracture
-
Irregular to Conchoidal
Streak
White
White to Grey
Porosity
Less Porous
Less Porous
Luster
Subvitreous to Dull
Vitreous to Dull
Specific Gravity
2.8-3
2.5
Transparency
Opaque
Opaque
Density
2.9-2.91 g/cm3
2.85-3.07 g/cm3
Resistance
Heat Resistant, Impact Resistant, Pressure Resistant
Heat Resistant, Pressure Resistant, Wear Resistant
Deposits in Eastern Continents
Africa
-
Burundi, Djibouti, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Kenya, Madagascar, Rwanda, Somalia, South Africa, Sudan, Tanzania, Uganda
Europe
Bulgaria, England, Germany, Norway, Romania, Switzerland
Germany, Greece, Iceland, Norway, Poland
Deposits in Western Continents
North America
USA
Canada, USA
South America
Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru
Brazil
Deposits in Oceania Continent
Australia
New South Wales, New Zealand, Queensland, South Australia, Western Australia
South Australia, Western Australia
Blue Granite vs Hornblendite Characteristics
Though some rocks look identical, they have certain characteristics which distinguish them from others. Characteristics of rocks include texture, appearance, color, fracture, streak, hardness etc. Blue Granite vs Hornblendite characteristics assist us to distinguish and recognize rocks. Also you can check about Properties of Blue Granite and Properties of Hornblendite. Learn more about Blue Granite vs Hornblendite in the next section. The interior uses of Blue Granite include Decorative aggregates, Floor tiles, Flooring and Interior decoration whereas the interior uses of Hornblendite include Countertops, Decorative aggregates, Entryways, Flooring, Homes, Hotels, Interior decoration and Kitchens. Due to some exceptional properties of Blue Granite and Hornblendite, they have various applications in construction industry. The uses of Blue Granite in construction industry include As dimension stone, Cement manufacture, Construction aggregate, For road aggregate and that of Hornblendite include As dimension stone, Building houses or walls, Cobblestones, Construction aggregate, For road aggregate, Landscaping, Production of glass and ceramics, Roadstone.
More about Blue Granite and Hornblendite
Here you can know more about Blue Granite and Hornblendite. The life cycle of a rock consists of formation of rock, composition of rock and transformation of rock. The composition of Blue Granite and Hornblendite consists of mineral content and compound content. The mineral content of Blue Granite includes Albite, Amphibole, Apatite, Biotite, Feldspar, Hornblade, Ilmenite, Magnetite, Muscovite or Illite, Olivine, Plagioclase, Pyroxene, Quartz, Sulfides, Titanite, Zircon and mineral content of Hornblendite includes Amphibole, Calcite, Hornblade, Magnetite, Plagioclase, Wollastonite. You can also check out the list of all Igneous Rocks. When we have to compare Blue Granite vs Hornblendite, the texture, color and appearance plays an important role in determining the type of rock. Blue Granite is available in black, brown, light to dark grey, white colors whereas, Hornblendite is available in black, brown, green, grey colors. Appearance of Blue Granite is Shiny and that of Hornblendite is Foliated. Properties of rock is another aspect for Blue Granite vs Hornblendite. Hardness of Blue Granite and Hornblendite is 6-7. The types of Blue Granite are Granite whereas types of Hornblendite are Hornblende Gabbro and Hornblende Peridotite. Streak of rock is the color of powder produced when it is dragged across an unweathered surface. The streak of Blue Granite is white while that of Hornblendite is white to grey. The specific heat capacity of Blue Granite is 0.79 kJ/Kg K and that of Hornblendite is 0.84 kJ/Kg K. Depending on the properties like hardness, toughness, specific heat capacity, porosity etc., rocks are resistant to heat, wear, impact, etc.Blue Granite is heat resistant, impact resistant, pressure resistant whereas Hornblendite is heat resistant, pressure resistant, wear resistant.