Definition
Dunite is a green to brownish coarse-grained igneous rock mainly consisting of olivine
Pegmatite rock is a holocrystalline, intrusive igneous rock which is composed of interlocking phaneritic crystals
Origin
New Zealand
Unknown
Discoverer
Ferdinand von Hochstetter
R. J. Hauy
Etymology
From the name of Dun Mountain, New Zealand, + -ite1
From Greek pegma, pegmat which means- thing joined together + -ite
Class
Igneous Rocks
Igneous Rocks
Sub-Class
Durable Rock, Medium Hardness Rock
Durable Rock, Hard Rock
Other Categories
Coarse Grained Rock, Opaque Rock
Coarse Grained Rock, Opaque Rock
Texture
Phaneritic
Pegmatitic
Color
Dark Greenish - Grey
Black, Brown, Cream, Green, Grey, Pink, Red, Rust, Silver, White, Yellow
Durability
Durable
Durable
Scratch Resistant
Yes
Yes
Appearance
Rough and Shiny
Layered, Banded, Veined and Shiny
Interior Uses
Decorative Aggregates, Interior Decoration
Decorative Aggregates, Flooring, Interior Decoration
Exterior Uses
As Building Stone, As Facing Stone, Garden Decoration, Paving Stone
As Building Stone, As Facing Stone, Paving Stone
Other Architectural Uses
Curbing
Curbing
Construction Industry
As Dimension Stone, Cement Manufacture, Construction Aggregate, for Road Aggregate, Making natural cement, Raw material for the manufacture of mortar
As Dimension Stone, Building houses or walls, Construction Aggregate, for Road Aggregate, Landscaping
Medical Industry
Not Yet Used
Not Yet Used
Antiquity Uses
Artifacts, Monuments, Sculpture, Small Figurines
Artifacts, Sculpture, Small Figurines
Commercial Uses
Creating Artwork, Gemstone, Jewelry, Source of Chromite, Platinum, Nickel and Garnet, Source of Diamonds
Creating Artwork, Jewelry, Source of corundum, tourmalines, beryls and topaz
Types
Not Available
Granite Pegmatite, Gabbro Pegmatite and Diorite Pegmatite
Features
Constitutes upper part of the Earth's mantle, Generally rough to touch, Host rock for Diamond, Is one of the oldest rock
Generally rough to touch, Is one of the oldest rock, Source of corundum, tourmalines, beryls and topaz
Archaeological Significance
Monuments
Used
Not Yet Used
Famous Monuments
Data Not Available
Not Applicable
Famous Sculptures
Data Not Available
Data Not Available
Pictographs
Used
Not Used
Petroglyphs
Used
Not Used
Formation
Dunite is a plutonic ultramafic igneous rock consisting almost m olivine. It can be formed in two ways.
Pegmatite rock is holocrystalline, intrusive igneous rock which is formed by partial melting and dewatering during the process of metamorphism.
Mineral Content
Amphibole, Chromite, Garnet, Magnesium, Olivine, Phlogopite, Plagioclase, Pyroxene
Apatite, Beryl, Feldspar, Fluorite, Garnet, Lepidolite, Quartz, Silica, Spodumene, Topaz
Compound Content
Ca, CaO, Fe, Potassium, Silicon Dioxide, Sodium, Titanium Dioxide
Aluminium Oxide, CaO, Iron(III) Oxide, FeO, Potassium Oxide, Magnesium Carbonate, MgO, Phosphorus Pentoxide
Types of Metamorphism
Burial Metamorphism, Cataclastic Metamorphism, Contact Metamorphism
Burial Metamorphism, Cataclastic Metamorphism, Contact Metamorphism, Hydrothermal Metamorphism, Impact Metamorphism, Regional Metamorphism
Types of Weathering
Biological Weathering, Chemical Weathering, Mechanical Weathering
Biological Weathering, Chemical Weathering, Mechanical Weathering
Types of Erosion
Coastal Erosion, Glacier Erosion, Water Erosion
Chemical Erosion, Coastal Erosion, Glacier Erosion, Sea Erosion, Water Erosion, Wind Erosion
Grain Size
Coarse Grained
Medium to Coarse Grained
Fracture
Irregular
Conchoidal
Porosity
Less Porous
Less Porous
Luster
Shiny
Grainy, Pearly and Vitreous
Cleavage
Imperfect
Perfect
Specific Gravity
3-3.01
2.6-2.63
Transparency
Translucent to Opaque
Translucent to Opaque
Density
2.84-2.85 g/cm3
2.6-2.65 g/cm3
Specific Heat Capacity
Not Available
Resistance
Heat Resistant, Pressure Resistant, Wear Resistant
Heat Resistant, Impact Resistant, Pressure Resistant
Deposits in Eastern Continents
Asia
China, India, Indonesia, Kazakhstan, Russia, South Korea, Thailand, Turkey
China, India, Iran, Japan, Nepal, North Korea, Russia, Saudi Arabia, South Korea
Africa
Morocco, South Africa
South Africa
Europe
Finland, France, Georgia, Germany, Great Britain, Italy, Kazakhstan, Netherlands, Norway, Spain, Switzerland, Venezuela
Austria, France, Greece, Ireland, Italy, Netherlands, Slovakia, Spain, Turkey, Ukraine
Others
Not Yet Found
Not Yet Found
Deposits in Western Continents
North America
Canada, USA
Canada
South America
Argentina, Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador, Venezuela
Brazil
Deposits in Oceania Continent
Australia
New Zealand, Western Australia
New South Wales, Queensland, South Australia, Western Australia
Dunite vs Pegmatite 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. Dunite vs Pegmatite characteristics assist us to distinguish and recognize rocks. Also you can check about Properties of Dunite and Properties of Pegmatite. Learn more about Dunite vs Pegmatite in the next section. The interior uses of Dunite include Decorative aggregates and Interior decoration whereas the interior uses of Pegmatite include Decorative aggregates, Flooring and Interior decoration. Due to some exceptional properties of Dunite and Pegmatite, they have various applications in construction industry. The uses of Dunite in construction industry include As dimension stone, Cement manufacture, Construction aggregate, For road aggregate, Making natural cement, Raw material for the manufacture of mortar and that of Pegmatite include As dimension stone, Building houses or walls, Construction aggregate, For road aggregate, Landscaping.
More about Dunite and Pegmatite
Here you can know more about Dunite and Pegmatite. The life cycle of a rock consists of formation of rock, composition of rock and transformation of rock. The composition of Dunite and Pegmatite consists of mineral content and compound content. The mineral content of Dunite includes Amphibole, Chromite, Garnet, Magnesium, Olivine, Phlogopite, Plagioclase, Pyroxene and mineral content of Pegmatite includes Apatite, Beryl, Feldspar, Fluorite, Garnet, Lepidolite, Quartz, Silica, Spodumene, Topaz. You can also check out the list of all . When we have to compare Dunite vs Pegmatite, the texture, color and appearance plays an important role in determining the type of rock. Dunite is available in dark greenish - grey colors whereas, Pegmatite is available in black, brown, cream, green, grey, pink, red, rust, silver, white, yellow colors. Appearance of Dunite is Rough and Shiny and that of Pegmatite is Layered, Banded, Veined and Shiny. Properties of rock is another aspect for Dunite vs Pegmatite. The hardness of Dunite is 3.5-4 and that of Pegmatite is 7. The types of Dunite are Not Available whereas types of Pegmatite are Granite Pegmatite, Gabbro Pegmatite and Diorite Pegmatite. Streak of rock is the color of powder produced when it is dragged across an unweathered surface. The streak of Dunite and Pegmatite is white. The specific heat capacity of Dunite is 1.25 kJ/Kg K and that of Pegmatite is Not Available. Depending on the properties like hardness, toughness, specific heat capacity, porosity etc., rocks are resistant to heat, wear, impact, etc.Dunite is heat resistant, pressure resistant, wear resistant whereas Pegmatite is heat resistant, impact resistant, pressure resistant.