Definition
Chert is a hard, dark, opaque sedimentary rock which is composed of silica with an amorphous fine-grained texture
  
Granite is a very hard, granular, crystalline igneous rock which consists mainly of quartz, mica, and feldspar and is often used as building stone
  
History
  
  
Discoverer
Unknown
  
Unknown
  
Etymology
From flint-like quartz, 1670s, of unknown origin- a local term, which has been taken into geological use
  
From Italian granito, which means grained rock, from grano grain, and from Latin granum
  
Class
Sedimentary Rocks
  
Igneous Rocks
  
Sub-Class
Durable Rock, Hard Rock
  
Durable Rock, Hard Rock
  
Family
  
  
Group
Not Applicable
  
Plutonic
  
Other Categories
Fine Grained Rock, Opaque Rock
  
Coarse Grained Rock, Opaque Rock
  
Texture
Banded, Rough
  
Granular, Phaneritic
  
Color
Black, Brown, Green, Grey, Red, White
  
Black, Grey, Orange, Pink, White
  
Maintenance
Less
  
More
  
Durability
Durable
  
Durable
  
Water Resistant
Yes
  
Yes
  
Scratch Resistant
Yes
  
Yes
  
Stain Resistant
Yes
  
Yes
  
Wind Resistant
No
  
Yes
  
Acid Resistant
Yes
  
No
  
Appearance
Glassy or Pearly
  
Veined or Pebbled
  
Architecture
  
  
Interior Uses
Decorative Aggregates, Homes
  
Countertops, Decorative Aggregates, Entryways, Floor Tiles, Flooring, Homes, Hotels, Interior Decoration, Kitchens, Stair Treads
  
Exterior Uses
As Building Stone, As Facing Stone, Garden Decoration, Office Buildings
  
As Building Stone, As Facing Stone, Bridges, Paving Stone, Garden Decoration, Near Swimming Pools, Office Buildings, Resorts
  
Other Architectural Uses
Curbing
  
Curbing
  
Industry
  
  
Construction Industry
Arrowheads, Construction Aggregate, Cutting Tool, Spear Points
  
As Dimension Stone
  
Medical Industry
Not Yet Used
  
Not Yet Used
  
Antiquity Uses
Artifacts, Monuments
  
Monuments, Sculpture, Small Figurines
  
Other Uses
  
  
Commercial Uses
Creating Artwork, Gemstone, In fire-starting tools, Jewelry, To ignite fire, Used in flintlock firearms
  
Curling, Gemstone, Laboratory bench tops, Tombstones, Used in aquariums
  
Types
Flint, Jasper, Radiolarite, Common Chert, Chalcedony, Agate, Onyx, Opal, Magadi-type Chert, Porcelanite, Siliceous Sinter
  
Igneous Protolith Granite, Sedimentary Protolith Granite, Mantle Granite, Anorogenic Granite, Hybrid Granite, Granodiorite and Alkali Feldspar Granite
  
Features
Clasts are smooth to touch, Easily splits into thin plates, Has High structural resistance against erosion and climate
  
Available in Lots of Colors and Patterns, It is One of the Oldest, Strongest and Hardest Rock
  
Archaeological Significance
  
  
Monuments
Used
  
Used
  
Famous Monuments
Data Not Available
  
Agia Sophia in Istanbul, Turkey, Blue Domed Church in Santorini, Greece, Blue Mosque in Istanbul, Charminar in Hyderabad, India, Diana, Princess of Wales Memorial Fountain in London, UK, Ephesus in Turkey, Georgia Guidestones in Georgia, US, Hermitage in Saint Petersburg, Khajuraho Temples, India, Mahabalipuram in Tamil Nadu, India, Mysore Palace in Karnataka, India, Signers Monument in Augusta, Georgia, Statue of Liberty in New York, USA, Taj Mahal in Agra, India, Tower Bridge in London, Vietnam Veterans Memorial in Washington, US, Washington Monument, US
  
Sculpture
Not Yet Used
  
Used
  
Famous Sculptures
Not Applicable
  
Avukana Buddha Statue in Sri Lanka, Lincoln Memorial in America, Mount Rushmore National Memorial in South Dakota, US, The Colossal Red Granite Statue of Amenhotep III in Karnak, Egypt
  
Pictographs
Not Used
  
Not Used
  
Petroglyphs
Not Used
  
Not Used
  
Figurines
Not Yet Used
  
Used
  
Fossils
Present
  
Absent
  
Formation
Chert forms when microcrystals of silicon dioxide grow within soft sediments that become limestone or chalk. The chert formation can be either of chemical or biological origin.
  
Granite is an intrusive igneous rock which is very hard, crystalline and is visibly homogeneous in texture and forms by melting of continental rocks
  
Composition
  
  
Mineral Content
Quartz, Silicon
  
Amphibole, Biotite, Feldspar, Hornblade, Micas, Muscovite or Illite, Plagioclase, Pyroxene, Quartz
  
Compound Content
Silicon Dioxide
  
Aluminium Oxide, CaO, Iron(III) Oxide, FeO, Potassium Oxide, MgO, MnO, Sodium Oxide, Phosphorus Pentoxide, Silicon Dioxide, Titanium Dioxide
  
Transformation
  
  
Metamorphism
No
  
Yes
  
Types of Metamorphism
Not Applicable
  
Burial Metamorphism, Cataclastic Metamorphism
  
Weathering
No
  
Yes
  
Types of Weathering
Not Applicable
  
Biological Weathering
  
Erosion
Yes
  
Yes
  
Types of Erosion
Chemical Erosion
  
Chemical Erosion, Sea Erosion, Water Erosion
  
Physical Properties
  
  
Hardness
6.5-7
  
6-7
  
Grain Size
Very fine-grained
  
Large and Coarse Grained
  
Fracture
Uneven, Splintery or Conchoidal
  
Not Available
  
Streak
White
  
White
  
Porosity
Highly Porous
  
Less Porous
  
Luster
Waxy and Dull
  
Dull to Grainy with Sporadic parts Pearly and Vitreous
  
Compressive Strength
450.00 N/mm2
  
1
175.00 N/mm2
  
13
Cleavage
Non-Existent
  
Not Available
  
Toughness
1.5
  
Not Available
  
Specific Gravity
2.5-2.8
  
2.6-2.7
  
Transparency
Translucent to Opaque
  
Opaque
  
Density
2.7 g/cm3
  
2.65-2.75 g/cm3
  
Thermal Properties
  
  
Specific Heat Capacity
0.74 kJ/Kg K
  
19
0.79 kJ/Kg K
  
16
Resistance
Heat Resistant, Impact Resistant, Pressure Resistant, Wear Resistant
  
Heat Resistant, Wear Resistant
  
Deposits in Eastern Continents
  
  
Asia
China, India, Iran, Japan, Oman, Russia, Saudi Arabia, Taiwan, Thailand, Vietnam
  
China, India, Iran, Saudi Arabia, Sri Lanka, Taiwan, Thailand, Turkey, Vietnam
  
Africa
Kenya, Morocco, South Africa, Tanzania
  
Angola, Egypt, Madagascar, Namibia, Nigeria, South Africa
  
Europe
Austria, France, Greece, Italy, Malta, Poland, Portugal, Serbia, Spain, Sweden, United Kingdom
  
Austria, Belgium, Finland, France, Germany, Italy, Norway, Sardinia, Spain, Switzerland, The Czech Republic, Venezuela
  
Others
Greenland, Mid-Atlantic Ridge
  
Not Yet Found
  
Deposits in Western Continents
  
  
North America
Canada, Mexico, USA
  
Canada, USA
  
South America
Bolivia, Brazil
  
Not Yet Found
  
Deposits in Oceania Continent
  
  
Australia
New South Wales, Queensland, South Australia, Western Australia
  
Not Yet Found
  
Chert vs Granite 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. Chert vs Granite characteristics assist us to distinguish and recognize rocks. Also you can check about Properties of Chert and Properties of Granite. Learn more about Chert vs Granite in the next section. The interior uses of Chert include Decorative aggregates and Homes whereas the interior uses of Granite include Countertops, Decorative aggregates, Entryways, Floor tiles, Flooring, Homes, Hotels, Interior decoration, Kitchens and Stair treads. Due to some exceptional properties of Chert and Granite, they have various applications in construction industry. The uses of Chert in construction industry include Arrowheads, Construction aggregate, Cutting tool, Spear points and that of Granite include As dimension stone.
More about Chert and Granite
Here you can know more about Chert and Granite. The life cycle of a rock consists of formation of rock, composition of rock and transformation of rock. The composition of Chert and Granite consists of mineral content and compound content. The mineral content of Chert includes Quartz, Silicon and mineral content of Granite includes Amphibole, Biotite, Feldspar, Hornblade, Micas, Muscovite or Illite, Plagioclase, Pyroxene, Quartz. You can also check out the list of all Sedimentary Rocks. When we have to compare Chert vs Granite, the texture, color and appearance plays an important role in determining the type of rock. Chert is available in black, brown, green, grey, red, white colors whereas, Granite is available in black, grey, orange, pink, white colors. Appearance of Chert is Glassy or Pearly and that of Granite is Veined or Pebbled. Properties of rock is another aspect for Chert vs Granite. The hardness of Chert is 6.5-7 and that of Granite is 6-7. The types of Chert are Flint, Jasper, Radiolarite, Common Chert, Chalcedony, Agate, Onyx, Opal, Magadi-type Chert, Porcelanite, Siliceous Sinter whereas types of Granite are Igneous Protolith Granite, Sedimentary Protolith Granite, Mantle Granite, Anorogenic Granite, Hybrid Granite, Granodiorite and Alkali Feldspar Granite. Streak of rock is the color of powder produced when it is dragged across an unweathered surface. The streak of Chert and Granite is white. The specific heat capacity of Chert is 0.74 kJ/Kg K and that of Granite is 0.79 kJ/Kg K. Depending on the properties like hardness, toughness, specific heat capacity, porosity etc., rocks are resistant to heat, wear, impact, etc.Chert is heat resistant, impact resistant, pressure resistant, wear resistant whereas Granite is heat resistant, wear resistant.