Definition
Diorite is a grey to dark-grey intermediate intrusive igneous rock composed principally of plagioclase feldspar,biotite, hornblende, and pyroxene
Ijolite is an intrusive igneous rock which is composed mainly of nepheline and an alkali pyroxene, usually aegirine-augite
Origin
Unknown
Finland, Europe
Discoverer
Unknown
Unknown
Etymology
From early 19th century coined in French, formed irregularly from Greek diorizein distinguish
From the first syllable of the Finnish words Ii-vaara, Iijoki, &c. commonly used geographical names in Finland, and the Gr. Xiflos, a stone
Class
Igneous Rocks
Igneous Rocks
Sub-Class
Durable Rock, Hard Rock
Durable Rock, Medium Hardness Rock
Other Categories
Coarse Grained Rock, Medium Grained Rock, Opaque Rock
Coarse Grained Rock, Opaque Rock
Texture
Phaneritic
Earthy, Granular
Color
Black, Brown, Light to Dark Grey, White
Brown, Buff, Cream, Green, Grey, Pink, White
Durability
Durable
Durable
Appearance
Shiny
Banded and Foilated
Interior Uses
Decorative Aggregates, Interior Decoration
Decorative Aggregates, Entryways, Floor Tiles, Flooring, Homes, Interior Decoration, Kitchens
Exterior Uses
As Building Stone, As Facing 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, Cobblestones, Construction Aggregate, for Road Aggregate
As Dimension Stone, Cement Manufacture, Construction Aggregate, for Road Aggregate, Landscaping, Making natural cement, Manufacture of Magnesium and Dolomite Refractories
Medical Industry
Not Yet Used
Not Yet Used
Antiquity Uses
Artifacts, Monuments, Sculpture, Small Figurines
Artifacts, Monuments, Sculpture, Small Figurines
Commercial Uses
Creating Artwork, Curling
Cemetery Markers, Creating Artwork
Types
Not Available
Not Available
Features
Typically speckled black and white.
Application of acids on the surface causes cloudy frosting, Available in Lots of Colors and Patterns, Is one of the oldest rock
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
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.
Ijolite 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
Albite, Amphibole, Biotite, Cancrinite, Feldspar, Hornblende, Plagioclase, Pyroxene, Sodalite
Compound Content
Silicon Dioxide
Aluminium Oxide, CaO, Iron(III) Oxide, FeO, Potassium Oxide, MgO, MnO, Sodium Oxide, Phosphorus Pentoxide, Silicon Dioxide
Types of Metamorphism
Cataclastic Metamorphism, Contact Metamorphism, Regional Metamorphism
Burial Metamorphism, Cataclastic Metamorphism, Contact Metamorphism
Types of Weathering
Biological Weathering, Chemical Weathering, Mechanical Weathering
Biological Weathering, Chemical Weathering
Types of Erosion
Chemical Erosion, Coastal Erosion, Water Erosion
Chemical Erosion, Water Erosion, Wind Erosion
Grain Size
Medium to Coarse Grained
Coarse Grained
Fracture
Not Available
Conchoidal to Uneven
Streak
Bluish Black
White
Porosity
Very Less Porous
Less Porous
Luster
Shiny
Greasy to Dull
Compressive Strength
Not Available
Cleavage
Not Available
Poor
Toughness
2.1
Not Available
Specific Gravity
2.8-3
2.6-2.76
Transparency
Opaque
Opaque
Density
2.8-3 g/cm3
2.6 g/cm3
Resistance
Heat Resistant, Pressure Resistant, Wear Resistant
Heat Resistant, Impact Resistant, Wear Resistant
Deposits in Eastern Continents
Asia
Not Yet Found
Indonesia, Iran, Russia, Saudi Arabia, Sri Lanka, Taiwan, Thailand, Turkey, Vietnam
Africa
Egypt
Angola, Egypt, Madagascar, Namibia, Nigeria, South Africa
Europe
Finland, Germany, Italy, Romania, Sweden, Turkey, United Kingdom
England, Finland, Germany, Great Britain, Greece, United Kingdom
Others
Not Yet Found
Not Yet Found
Deposits in Western Continents
North America
USA
Canada, USA
South America
Argentina, Bolivia, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru
Colombia
Deposits in Oceania Continent
Australia
New Zealand, Western Australia
New Zealand, Queensland, Western Australia
Diorite vs Ijolite 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. Diorite vs Ijolite characteristics assist us to distinguish and recognize rocks. Also you can check about Properties of Diorite and Properties of Ijolite. Learn more about Diorite vs Ijolite in the next section. The interior uses of Diorite include Decorative aggregates and Interior decoration whereas the interior uses of Ijolite include Decorative aggregates, Entryways, Floor tiles, Flooring, Homes, Interior decoration and Kitchens. Due to some exceptional properties of Diorite and Ijolite, they have various applications in construction industry. The uses of Diorite in construction industry include As dimension stone, Cement manufacture, Cobblestones, Construction aggregate, For road aggregate and that of Ijolite include As dimension stone, Cement manufacture, Construction aggregate, For road aggregate, Landscaping, Making natural cement, Manufacture of magnesium and dolomite refractories.
More about Diorite and Ijolite
Here you can know more about Diorite and Ijolite. The life cycle of a rock consists of formation of rock, composition of rock and transformation of rock. The composition of Diorite and Ijolite consists of mineral content and compound content. The mineral content of Diorite includes Albite, Amphibole, Apatite, Biotite, Feldspar, Hornblade, Ilmenite, Magnetite, Muscovite or Illite, Olivine, Plagioclase, Pyroxene, Quartz, Sulfides, Titanite, Zircon and mineral content of Ijolite includes Albite, Amphibole, Biotite, Cancrinite, Feldspar, Hornblende, Plagioclase, Pyroxene, Sodalite. You can also check out the list of all Igneous Rocks. When we have to compare Diorite vs Ijolite, the texture, color and appearance plays an important role in determining the type of rock. Diorite is available in black, brown, light to dark grey, white colors whereas, Ijolite is available in brown, buff, cream, green, grey, pink, white colors. Appearance of Diorite is Shiny and that of Ijolite is Banded and Foilated. Properties of rock is another aspect for Diorite vs Ijolite. The hardness of Diorite is 6-7 and that of Ijolite is 5.5-6. The types of Diorite are Not Available whereas types of Ijolite are Not Available. Streak of rock is the color of powder produced when it is dragged across an unweathered surface. The streak of Diorite is bluish black while that of Ijolite is white. The specific heat capacity of Diorite is Not Available and that of Ijolite is Not Available. Depending on the properties like hardness, toughness, specific heat capacity, porosity etc., rocks are resistant to heat, wear, impact, etc.Diorite is heat resistant, pressure resistant, wear resistant whereas Ijolite is heat resistant, impact resistant, wear resistant.