Definition
Charnockite is a variety of granite containing minerals like orthopyroxene, quartz, and feldspar
Minette is a variety of Lamprophyre and is porphyritic alkaline igneous rock which is mainly dominated by biotite and potassic feldspar
Origin
Tamil Nadu, India
Unknown
Discoverer
T. H. Holland
Unknown
Etymology
From Job Charnock, an administtrator of East India Company
From French mine ore, mine + ette
Class
Igneous Rocks
Igneous Rocks
Sub-Class
Durable Rock, Hard Rock
Durable Rock, Medium Hardness Rock
Other Categories
Coarse Grained Rock, Opaque Rock
Coarse Grained Rock, Fine Grained Rock, Opaque Rock
Texture
Granular
Porphyritic
Color
Black, Grey, Orange, Pink, White
Black, Bluish - Grey, Brown, Dark Greenish - Grey, Green, Grey
Durability
Durable
Durable
Scratch Resistant
Yes
Yes
Appearance
Veined or Pebbled
Dull, Banded and Foilated
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, Garden Decoration, Office Buildings, Resorts
As Building Stone, As Facing Stone, Garden Decoration
Other Architectural Uses
Curbing
Curbing
Construction Industry
As Dimension Stone
As Dimension Stone, Cement Manufacture, for Road Aggregate, Making natural cement, Manufacture of Magnesium and Dolomite Refractories
Medical Industry
Not Yet Used
Taken as a Supplement for Calcium or Magnesium
Antiquity Uses
Artifacts, Monuments, Sculpture, Small Figurines
Artifacts, Monuments, Sculpture, Small Figurines
Commercial Uses
Curling, Gemstone, Laboratory bench tops, Tombstones
An Oil and Gas Reservoir, As a Feed Additive for Livestock, Gemstone, Metallurgical Flux, Production of Lime, Soil Conditioner, Source of Magnesia (MgO)
Types
Enderbite
Minette, Alnoite, Camptonite, Monchiquite, Fourchite, Vogesite, Appinite and Spessartite
Features
Available in Lots of Colors and Patterns, It is One of the Oldest, Strongest and Hardest Rock
Always found as volcanic pipes over deep continental crust, Host rock for Diamond, Is one of the oldest rock, Surfaces are often shiny
Archaeological Significance
Famous Monuments
Data Not Available
Data Not Available
Famous Sculptures
Data Not Available
Data Not Available
Pictographs
Not Used
Used
Petroglyphs
Not Used
Used
Formation
Charnockite is an intrusive igneous rock which is very hard and is formed due to weathering of existing rocks.
Minette formation takes place deep beneath the Earth’s surface at around 150 to 450 kms, and are erupted rapidly and violently.
Mineral Content
Amphibole, Biotite, Feldspar, Hornblade, Micas, Muscovite or Illite, Olivine, Plagioclase, Pyroxene, Quartz
Amphibole, Carbonate, Garnet, Micas, Olivine, Phlogopite, Pyroxene
Compound Content
Aluminium Oxide, CaO, Iron(III) Oxide, FeO, Potassium Oxide, MgO, MnO, Sodium Oxide, Phosphorus Pentoxide, Silicon Dioxide, Titanium Dioxide
Aluminium Oxide, NaCl, CaO, Iron(III) Oxide, FeO, Potassium Oxide, MgO, MnO, Sodium Oxide, Silicon Dioxide, Titanium Dioxide
Types of Metamorphism
Burial Metamorphism, Contact Metamorphism, Regional Metamorphism
Burial Metamorphism, Cataclastic Metamorphism, Contact Metamorphism, Hydrothermal Metamorphism, Impact Metamorphism, Regional Metamorphism
Types of Weathering
Biological Weathering
Biological Weathering, Chemical Weathering
Types of Erosion
Chemical Erosion, Water Erosion, Wind Erosion
Chemical Erosion, Coastal Erosion, Sea Erosion, Wind Erosion
Grain Size
Coarse Grained
Fine to Coarse Grained
Fracture
Not Available
Conchoidal
Porosity
Very Less Porous
Very Less Porous
Luster
Not Available
Subvitreous to Dull
Cleavage
Not Available
Conchoidal
Toughness
Not Available
Not Available
Specific Gravity
Not Available
2.86-2.87
Transparency
Opaque
Translucent to Opaque
Density
2.6 g/cm3
2.95-2.96 g/cm3
Resistance
Heat Resistant, Wear Resistant
Heat Resistant, Impact Resistant
Deposits in Eastern Continents
Africa
East Africa, Ethiopia, Madagascar, Morocco, Mozambique
Angola, Botswana, Cameroon, Ethiopia, South Africa
Europe
Albania, Romania, Scotland, United Kingdom
England, Hungary, Iceland, United Kingdom
Others
Not Yet Found
Antarctica, Greenland
Deposits in Western Continents
North America
USA
Canada, Mexico, USA
South America
Brazil, Colombia, Venezuela
Argentina, Colombia, Ecuador
Deposits in Oceania Continent
Australia
Central Australia, Western Australia
New South Wales, New Zealand, Queensland, South Australia, Western Australia
All about Charnockite and Minette Properties
Know all about Charnockite and Minette properties here. All properties of rocks are important as they define the type of rock and its application. Charnockite and Minette belong to Igneous Rocks.Texture of Charnockite is Granular whereas that of Minette is Porphyritic. Charnockite appears Veined or Pebbled and Minette appears Dull, Banded and Foilated. The luster of Charnockite is not available while that of Minette is subvitreous to dull. Charnockite is available in black, grey, orange, pink, white colors whereas Minette is available in black, bluish - grey, brown, dark greenish - grey, green, grey colors. The commercial uses of Charnockite are curling, gemstone, laboratory bench tops, tombstones and that of Minette are an oil and gas reservoir, as a feed additive for livestock, gemstone, metallurgical flux, production of lime, soil conditioner, source of magnesia (mgo).