Definition
Diorite is a grey to dark-grey intermediate intrusive igneous rock composed principally of plagioclase feldspar,biotite, hornblende, and pyroxene
  
Minette is a variety of Lamprophyre and is porphyritic alkaline igneous rock which is mainly dominated by biotite and potassic feldspar
  
History
  
  
Discoverer
Unknown
  
Unknown
  
Etymology
From early 19th century coined in French, formed irregularly from Greek diorizein distinguish
  
From French mine ore, mine + ette
  
Class
Igneous Rocks
  
Igneous Rocks
  
Sub-Class
Durable Rock, Hard Rock
  
Durable Rock, Medium Hardness Rock
  
Family
  
  
Group
Plutonic
  
Plutonic
  
Other Categories
Coarse Grained Rock, Medium Grained Rock, Opaque Rock
  
Coarse Grained Rock, Fine Grained Rock, Opaque Rock
  
Texture
Phaneritic
  
Porphyritic
  
Color
Black, Brown, Light to Dark Grey, White
  
Black, Bluish - Grey, Brown, Dark Greenish - Grey, Green, Grey
  
Maintenance
Less
  
Less
  
Durability
Durable
  
Durable
  
Water Resistant
No
  
Yes
  
Scratch Resistant
No
  
Yes
  
Stain Resistant
No
  
Yes
  
Wind Resistant
Yes
  
No
  
Acid Resistant
No
  
No
  
Appearance
Shiny
  
Dull, Banded and Foilated
  
Architecture
  
  
Interior Uses
Decorative Aggregates, Interior Decoration
  
Countertops, Decorative Aggregates, Interior Decoration
  
Exterior Uses
As Building Stone, As Facing Stone, Garden Decoration
  
As Building Stone, As Facing Stone, Garden Decoration
  
Other Architectural Uses
Curbing
  
Curbing
  
Industry
  
  
Construction Industry
As Dimension Stone, Cement Manufacture, Cobblestones, Construction Aggregate, for Road Aggregate
  
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
  
Other Uses
  
  
Commercial Uses
Creating Artwork, Curling
  
An Oil and Gas Reservoir, As a Feed Additive for Livestock, Gemstone, Metallurgical Flux, Production of Lime, Soil Conditioner, Source of Magnesia (MgO)
  
Types
Not Available
  
Minette, Alnoite, Camptonite, Monchiquite, Fourchite, Vogesite, Appinite and Spessartite
  
Features
Typically speckled black and white.
  
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
  
  
Monuments
Used
  
Used
  
Famous Monuments
Data Not Available
  
Data Not Available
  
Sculpture
Used
  
Used
  
Famous Sculptures
Data Not Available
  
Data Not Available
  
Pictographs
Not Used
  
Used
  
Petroglyphs
Not Used
  
Used
  
Figurines
Used
  
Used
  
Fossils
Absent
  
Absent
  
Formation
Diorite is a coarse-grained intrusive igneous rock which contains large interlocking and randomly oriented crystals and forms when molten lava does not reach the Earth’s surface and cools down in the Earth’s crust.
  
Minette formation takes place deep beneath the Earth’s surface at around 150 to 450 kms, and are erupted rapidly and violently.
  
Composition
  
  
Mineral Content
Albite, Amphibole, Apatite, Biotite, Feldspar, Hornblade, Ilmenite, Magnetite, Muscovite or Illite, Olivine, Plagioclase, Pyroxene, Quartz, Sulfides, Titanite, Zircon
  
Amphibole, Carbonate, Garnet, Micas, Olivine, Phlogopite, Pyroxene
  
Compound Content
Silicon Dioxide
  
Aluminium Oxide, NaCl, CaO, Iron(III) Oxide, FeO, Potassium Oxide, MgO, MnO, Sodium Oxide, Silicon Dioxide, Titanium Dioxide
  
Transformation
  
  
Metamorphism
Yes
  
Yes
  
Types of Metamorphism
Cataclastic Metamorphism, Contact Metamorphism, Regional Metamorphism
  
Burial Metamorphism, Cataclastic Metamorphism, Contact Metamorphism, Hydrothermal Metamorphism, Impact Metamorphism, Regional Metamorphism
  
Weathering
Yes
  
Yes
  
Types of Weathering
Biological Weathering, Chemical Weathering, Mechanical Weathering
  
Biological Weathering, Chemical Weathering
  
Erosion
Yes
  
Yes
  
Types of Erosion
Chemical Erosion, Coastal Erosion, Water Erosion
  
Chemical Erosion, Coastal Erosion, Sea Erosion, Wind Erosion
  
Physical Properties
  
  
Hardness
6-7
  
5-6
  
Grain Size
Medium to Coarse Grained
  
Fine to Coarse Grained
  
Fracture
Not Available
  
Conchoidal
  
Streak
Bluish Black
  
White
  
Porosity
Very Less Porous
  
Very Less Porous
  
Luster
Shiny
  
Subvitreous to Dull
  
Compressive Strength
225.00 N/mm
2
  
7
Not Available
  
Cleavage
Not Available
  
Conchoidal
  
Toughness
2.1
  
Not Available
  
Specific Gravity
2.8-3
  
2.86-2.87
  
Transparency
Opaque
  
Translucent to Opaque
  
Density
2.8-3 g/cm3
  
2.95-2.96 g/cm3
  
Thermal Properties
  
  
Resistance
Heat Resistant, Pressure Resistant, Wear Resistant
  
Heat Resistant, Impact Resistant
  
Deposits in Eastern Continents
  
  
Asia
Not Yet Found
  
Russia
  
Africa
Egypt
  
Angola, Botswana, Cameroon, Ethiopia, South Africa
  
Europe
Finland, Germany, Italy, Romania, Sweden, Turkey, 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
Argentina, Bolivia, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru
  
Argentina, Colombia, Ecuador
  
Deposits in Oceania Continent
  
  
Australia
New Zealand, Western Australia
  
New South Wales, New Zealand, Queensland, South Australia, Western Australia