Definition
Blue Granite is an igneous rock and a variety of Larvikite, notable for the presence of thumbnail-sized blue crystals of feldspar
Hornfels is a metamorphic rock formed by the contact between mudstone or other clay rich rock, and a hot igneous body, and represents a heat altered equivalent of the original rock
Discoverer
Unknown
Unknown
Etymology
From the color of rock, Blue
From German which means hornstone
Class
Igneous Rocks
Metamorphic Rocks
Sub-Class
Durable Rock, Medium Hardness Rock
Durable Rock, Soft Rock
Other Categories
Fine Grained Rock, Opaque Rock
Fine Grained Rock, Opaque Rock
Texture
Phaneritic
Granular, Platy
Color
Black, Brown, Light to Dark Grey, White
Brown, Dark Greenish - Grey, Green, Reddish Brown
Durability
Durable
Durable
Interior Uses
Decorative Aggregates, Floor Tiles, Flooring, Interior Decoration
Decorative Aggregates, Flooring, Homes, Interior Decoration
Exterior Uses
As Building Stone, As Facing Stone, Paving Stone, Garden Decoration
As Building Stone, As Facing Stone, Garden Decoration, Office Buildings, Paving Stone
Other Architectural Uses
Curbing
Curbing
Construction Industry
As Dimension Stone, Cement Manufacture, Construction Aggregate, for Road Aggregate
for Road Aggregate, Roadstone
Antiquity Uses
Artifacts, Monuments, Sculpture, Small Figurines
Artifacts, Monuments
Commercial Uses
Cemetery Markers, Commemorative Tablets, Creating Artwork, Curling
Cemetery Markers, Commemorative Tablets, Creating Artwork
Types
Granite
Biotite hornfels
Features
Available in lots of colors, Is one of the oldest rock
Smooth to touch
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.
Due to change in environmental conditions, rocks are heated and pressurized deep inside the Earth's surface. Hornfels is formed from the extreme heat caused by magma or by the intense collisions and friction of tectonic plates.
Mineral Content
Albite, Amphibole, Apatite, Biotite, Feldspar, Hornblade, Ilmenite, Magnetite, Muscovite or Illite, Olivine, Plagioclase, Pyroxene, Quartz, Sulfides, Titanite, Zircon
Andalusite
Compound Content
Aluminium Oxide, CaO, Iron(III) Oxide, FeO, Potassium Oxide, MgO, MnO, Sodium Oxide, Phosphorus Pentoxide, Silicon Dioxide, Titanium Dioxide
Fe, Mg
Types of Metamorphism
Burial Metamorphism, Cataclastic Metamorphism
-
Types of Weathering
Biological Weathering, Chemical Weathering
Biological Weathering
Types of Erosion
Chemical Erosion, Coastal Erosion, Water Erosion
Chemical Erosion, Glacier Erosion, Sea Erosion, Water Erosion, Wind Erosion
Grain Size
Medium to Fine Coarse Grained
Fine Grained
Porosity
Less Porous
Highly Porous
Luster
Subvitreous to Dull
Shiny
Specific Gravity
2.8-3
3.4-3.9
Transparency
Opaque
Opaque
Density
2.9-2.91 g/cm3
0.25-0.30 g/cm3
Resistance
Heat Resistant, Impact Resistant, Pressure Resistant
Heat Resistant, Impact Resistant, Pressure Resistant
Deposits in Eastern Continents
Asia
-
Bangladesh, Bhutan, China, India, North Korea, Qatar, Russia, Saudi Arabia, South Korea, Thailand
Africa
-
Cameroon, East Africa, Tanzania, Western Africa
Europe
Bulgaria, England, Germany, Norway, Romania, Switzerland
United Kingdom
Deposits in Western Continents
North America
USA
Canada, USA
South America
Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru
Bolivia, Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador
Deposits in Oceania Continent
Australia
New South Wales, New Zealand, Queensland, South Australia, Western Australia
New South Wales, New Zealand, Queensland, Western Australia
Blue Granite vs Hornfels 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 Hornfels characteristics assist us to distinguish and recognize rocks. Also you can check about Properties of Blue Granite and Properties of Hornfels. Learn more about Blue Granite vs Hornfels in the next section. The interior uses of Blue Granite include Decorative aggregates, Floor tiles, Flooring and Interior decoration whereas the interior uses of Hornfels include Decorative aggregates, Flooring, Homes and Interior decoration. Due to some exceptional properties of Blue Granite and Hornfels, 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 Hornfels include For road aggregate, Roadstone.
More about Blue Granite and Hornfels
Here you can know more about Blue Granite and Hornfels. The life cycle of a rock consists of formation of rock, composition of rock and transformation of rock. The composition of Blue Granite and Hornfels 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 Hornfels includes Andalusite. You can also check out the list of all Igneous Rocks. When we have to compare Blue Granite vs Hornfels, 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, Hornfels is available in brown, dark greenish - grey, green, reddish brown colors. Appearance of Blue Granite is Shiny and that of Hornfels is Dull. Properties of rock is another aspect for Blue Granite vs Hornfels. The hardness of Blue Granite is 6-7 and that of Hornfels is 2-3. The types of Blue Granite are Granite whereas types of Hornfels are Biotite hornfels. 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 Hornfels is . The specific heat capacity of Blue Granite is 0.79 kJ/Kg K and that of Hornfels 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 Hornfels is heat resistant, impact resistant, pressure resistant.