Definition
Gabbro is an intrusive igneous rock which is chemically equivalent to plutonic Basalt
Pegmatite rock is a holocrystalline, intrusive igneous rock which is composed of interlocking phaneritic crystals
Discoverer
Christian Leopold von Buch
R. J. Hauy
Etymology
From Latin glaber bare, smooth, bald
From Greek pegma, pegmat which means- thing joined together + -ite
Class
Igneous Rocks
Igneous Rocks
Sub-Class
Durable Rock, Hard Rock
Durable Rock, Hard Rock
Other Categories
Coarse Grained Rock, Opaque Rock
Coarse Grained Rock, Opaque Rock
Texture
Phaneritic
Pegmatitic
Color
Dark Grey to Black
Black, Brown, Cream, Green, Grey, Pink, Red, Rust, Silver, White, Yellow
Durability
Durable
Durable
Scratch Resistant
Yes
Yes
Appearance
Veined and Shiny
Layered, Banded, Veined and Shiny
Interior Uses
Countertops, Decorative Aggregates, Homes, Interior Decoration
Decorative Aggregates, Flooring, Interior Decoration
Exterior Uses
As Building Stone, As Facing Stone, Garden Decoration, Office Buildings, Paving Stone
As Building Stone, As Facing Stone, Paving Stone
Other Architectural Uses
Curbing
Curbing
Construction Industry
As Dimension Stone, Building houses or walls, Cement Manufacture, Construction Aggregate, for Road Aggregate
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
Artifacts, Sculpture, Small Figurines
Commercial Uses
Cemetery Markers, Commemorative Tablets, Laboratory bench tops, Jewelry, Sea Defence, Tombstones
Creating Artwork, Jewelry, Source of corundum, tourmalines, beryls and topaz
Types
Not Available
Granite Pegmatite, Gabbro Pegmatite and Diorite Pegmatite
Features
Smooth to touch
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
Not Used
Not Used
Petroglyphs
Not Used
Not Used
Formation
Gabbro, a mafic rock, forms due to cooling and crystallization of magma underneath Earth's surface.
Pegmatite rock is holocrystalline, intrusive igneous rock which is formed by partial melting and dewatering during the process of metamorphism.
Mineral Content
Augite, Olivine, Plagioclase, Pyroxene
Apatite, Beryl, Feldspar, Fluorite, Garnet, Lepidolite, Quartz, Silica, Spodumene, Topaz
Compound Content
Aluminium Oxide, CaO, Chromium(III) Oxide, Iron(III) Oxide, Potassium Oxide, MgO, Sodium Oxide, Silicon Dioxide, Sulfur Trioxide
Aluminium Oxide, CaO, Iron(III) Oxide, FeO, Potassium Oxide, Magnesium Carbonate, MgO, Phosphorus Pentoxide
Types of Metamorphism
Impact Metamorphism
Burial Metamorphism, Cataclastic Metamorphism, Contact Metamorphism, Hydrothermal Metamorphism, Impact Metamorphism, Regional Metamorphism
Types of Weathering
Chemical Weathering
Biological Weathering, Chemical Weathering, Mechanical Weathering
Types of Erosion
Coastal Erosion
Chemical Erosion, Coastal Erosion, Glacier Erosion, Sea Erosion, Water Erosion, Wind Erosion
Grain Size
Coarse Grained
Medium to Coarse Grained
Fracture
Conchoidal
Conchoidal
Porosity
Highly Porous
Less Porous
Luster
Not Available
Grainy, Pearly and Vitreous
Cleavage
Not Available
Perfect
Specific Gravity
2.86-2.87
2.6-2.63
Transparency
Opaque
Translucent to Opaque
Density
2.7-3.3 g/cm3
2.6-2.65 g/cm3
Resistance
Impact Resistant, Pressure Resistant, Wear Resistant
Heat Resistant, Impact Resistant, Pressure Resistant
Deposits in Eastern Continents
Asia
India, Russia
China, India, Iran, Japan, Nepal, North Korea, Russia, Saudi Arabia, South Korea
Africa
South Africa
South Africa
Europe
Germany, Greece, Italy, Scotland, Turkey
Austria, France, Greece, Ireland, Italy, Netherlands, Slovakia, Spain, Turkey, Ukraine
Others
Greenland
Not Yet Found
Deposits in Western Continents
North America
Canada, USA
Canada
South America
Brazil, Colombia, Venezuela
Brazil
Deposits in Oceania Continent
Australia
New Zealand, Queensland
New South Wales, Queensland, South Australia, Western Australia
Gabbro 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. Gabbro vs Pegmatite characteristics assist us to distinguish and recognize rocks. Also you can check about Properties of Gabbro and Properties of Pegmatite. Learn more about Gabbro vs Pegmatite in the next section. The interior uses of Gabbro include Countertops, Decorative aggregates, Homes and Interior decoration whereas the interior uses of Pegmatite include Decorative aggregates, Flooring and Interior decoration. Due to some exceptional properties of Gabbro and Pegmatite, they have various applications in construction industry. The uses of Gabbro in construction industry include As dimension stone, Building houses or walls, Cement manufacture, Construction aggregate, For road aggregate and that of Pegmatite include As dimension stone, Building houses or walls, Construction aggregate, For road aggregate, Landscaping.
More about Gabbro and Pegmatite
Here you can know more about Gabbro and Pegmatite. The life cycle of a rock consists of formation of rock, composition of rock and transformation of rock. The composition of Gabbro and Pegmatite consists of mineral content and compound content. The mineral content of Gabbro includes Augite, Olivine, 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 Igneous Rocks. When we have to compare Gabbro vs Pegmatite, the texture, color and appearance plays an important role in determining the type of rock. Gabbro is available in dark grey to black colors whereas, Pegmatite is available in black, brown, cream, green, grey, pink, red, rust, silver, white, yellow colors. Appearance of Gabbro is Veined and Shiny and that of Pegmatite is Layered, Banded, Veined and Shiny. Properties of rock is another aspect for Gabbro vs Pegmatite. Hardness of Gabbro and Pegmatite is 7. The types of Gabbro 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 Gabbro is black while that of Pegmatite is white. The specific heat capacity of Gabbro is Not Available 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.Gabbro is impact resistant, pressure resistant, wear resistant whereas Pegmatite is heat resistant, impact resistant, pressure resistant.