Definition
Gneiss is a common and widely distributed type of rock formed by high-grade regional metamorphic processes from pre-existing formations that were originally either igneous or sedimentary rocks
  
Boninite is a mafic extrusive rock which is high in magnesium and silica content, formed in fore-arc environments, typically during the early stages of subduction
  
History
  
  
Origin
Unknown
  
Japan
  
Discoverer
Unknown
  
Unknown
  
Etymology
From the Middle High German verb gneist (to spark; so called because the rock glitters)
  
From its occurrence in the Izu-Bonin arc south of Japan
  
Class
Metamorphic Rocks
  
Igneous Rocks
  
Sub-Class
Durable Rock, Hard Rock
  
Durable Rock, Hard Rock
  
Family
  
  
Group
Not Applicable
  
Volcanic
  
Other Categories
Coarse Grained Rock, Medium Grained Rock, Opaque Rock
  
Fine Grained Rock, Opaque Rock
  
Texture
Banded, Foliated, Platy
  
Aphanitic to Porphyritic
  
Color
Black, Brown, Pink, Red, White
  
Bluish - Grey, Brown, Colourless, Green, Grey
  
Maintenance
More
  
Less
  
Durability
Durable
  
Durable
  
Water Resistant
Yes
  
No
  
Scratch Resistant
Yes
  
Yes
  
Stain Resistant
Yes
  
Yes
  
Wind Resistant
Yes
  
Yes
  
Acid Resistant
No
  
No
  
Appearance
Foliated
  
Dull and Soft
  
Architecture
  
  
Interior Uses
Countertops, Decorative Aggregates, Flooring, Interior Decoration
  
Decorative Aggregates, Homes, Kitchens
  
Exterior Uses
As Building Stone, As Facing Stone, Garden Decoration, Paving Stone
  
Garden Decoration, Office Buildings
  
Other Architectural Uses
Curbing
  
Not Yet Used
  
Industry
  
  
Construction Industry
As Dimension Stone
  
As a Flux in the Production of Steel and Pig Iron, As a Sintering Agent in Steel Industry to process Iron Ore, As Dimension Stone, Cement Manufacture, for Road Aggregate, Making natural cement, Manufacture of Magnesium and Dolomite Refractories
  
Medical Industry
Not Yet Used
  
Not Yet Used
  
Antiquity Uses
Artifacts
  
Artifacts
  
Other Uses
  
  
Commercial Uses
Cemetery Markers, Jewelry, Tombstones, Used in aquariums
  
An Oil and Gas Reservoir, Cemetery Markers, Creating Artwork, Soil Conditioner, Source of Magnesia (MgO)
  
Types
Augen Gneiss, Henderson Gneiss, Lewisian Gneiss, Archean and Proterozoic Gneiss.
  
Not Available
  
Features
Generally rough to touch, Is one of the oldest rock
  
Available in Lots of Colors and Patterns, High Mg content, Is one of the oldest rock
  
Archaeological Significance
  
  
Monuments
Used
  
Not Yet Used
  
Famous Monuments
Konark Sun Temple in India, Washington Monument, US
  
Not Applicable
  
Sculpture
Not Yet Used
  
Not Yet Used
  
Famous Sculptures
Not Applicable
  
Not Applicable
  
Pictographs
Not Used
  
Not Used
  
Petroglyphs
Not Used
  
Not Used
  
Figurines
Not Yet Used
  
Not Yet Used
  
Fossils
Absent
  
Absent
  
Formation
Gneiss is a high grade metamorphic rock i.e. it has been subjected to higher temperatures and pressures than schist. It is formed by the metamorphosis of Gneiss forms from volcanic rock, shale or granitie.
  
Boninite is a type of Igneous rock which is formed through the cooling and solidification of lava or existing rocks.
  
Composition
  
  
Mineral Content
Biotite, Chlorite, Feldspar, Garnet, Graphite, Hornblade, Micas, Muscovite or Illite, Quartz, Quartzite, Silica, Zircon
  
Amphibole, Apatite, Biotite, Feldspar, Garnet, Hornblade, Ilmenite
  
Compound Content
Aluminium Oxide, NaCl, CaO, Iron(III) Oxide, FeO, Potassium Oxide, Magnesium Carbonate, MgO, MnO, Phosphorus Pentoxide, Silicon Dioxide, Titanium Dioxide
  
Silicon Dioxide
  
Transformation
  
  
Metamorphism
Yes
  
Yes
  
Types of Metamorphism
Impact Metamorphism
  
Burial Metamorphism, Cataclastic Metamorphism, Contact Metamorphism, Regional Metamorphism
  
Weathering
Yes
  
Yes
  
Types of Weathering
Biological Weathering, Mechanical Weathering
  
Biological Weathering
  
Erosion
Yes
  
Yes
  
Types of Erosion
Chemical Erosion, Coastal Erosion, Sea Erosion
  
Chemical Erosion, Coastal Erosion, Wind Erosion
  
Physical Properties
  
  
Hardness
7
  
7
  
Grain Size
Medium to Coarse Grained
  
Fine Grained
  
Fracture
Irregular
  
Uneven
  
Streak
White
  
White
  
Porosity
Very Less Porous
  
Less Porous
  
Luster
Dull
  
Vitreous
  
Compressive Strength
125.00 N/mm
2
  
17
Not Available
  
Cleavage
Poor
  
Not Available
  
Toughness
1.2
  
1.1
  
Specific Gravity
2.5-2.7
  
2.5-2.8
  
Transparency
Translucent to Opaque
  
Opaque
  
Density
2.6-2.9 g/cm3
  
Not Available
  
Thermal Properties
  
  
Resistance
Heat Resistant, Pressure Resistant, Scratch Resistant, Wear Resistant
  
Heat Resistant, Impact Resistant, Pressure Resistant, Wear Resistant
  
Deposits in Eastern Continents
  
  
Asia
China, India, Iran, Iraq, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Mongolia, Russia
  
Not Available
  
Africa
Cameroon, Ethiopia, Ghana, Kenya, Madagascar, Morocco, Mozambique, Namibia, Nigeria, Tanzania, Togo
  
South Africa
  
Europe
Albania, Austria, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Finland, France, Georgia, Germany, Hungary, Italy, Kosovo, Monaco, Norway, Poland, Romania, Serbia, Slovakia, Slovenia, Switzerland, Ukraine, United Kingdom
  
England, Finland, United Kingdom
  
Others
Not Yet Found
  
Antarctica, Greenland
  
Deposits in Western Continents
  
  
North America
Canada, Costa Rica, Cuba, Mexico, Panama, USA
  
USA
  
South America
Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, Venezuela
  
Colombia, Uruguay
  
Deposits in Oceania Continent
  
  
Australia
New South Wales, New Zealand, Queensland, Victoria
  
New Zealand, Western Australia