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
  
Granite is a very hard, granular, crystalline igneous rock which consists mainly of quartz, mica, and feldspar and is often used as building stone
  
History
  
  
Discoverer
Unknown
  
Unknown
  
Etymology
From the Middle High German verb gneist (to spark; so called because the rock glitters)
  
From Italian granito, which means grained rock, from grano grain, and from Latin granum
  
Class
Metamorphic Rocks
  
Igneous Rocks
  
Sub-Class
Durable Rock, Hard Rock
  
Durable Rock, Hard Rock
  
Family
  
  
Group
Not Applicable
  
Plutonic
  
Other Categories
Coarse Grained Rock, Medium Grained Rock, Opaque Rock
  
Coarse Grained Rock, Opaque Rock
  
Texture
Banded, Foliated, Platy
  
Granular, Phaneritic
  
Color
Black, Brown, Pink, Red, White
  
Black, Grey, Orange, Pink, White
  
Maintenance
More
  
More
  
Durability
Durable
  
Durable
  
Water Resistant
Yes
  
Yes
  
Scratch Resistant
Yes
  
Yes
  
Stain Resistant
Yes
  
Yes
  
Wind Resistant
Yes
  
Yes
  
Acid Resistant
No
  
No
  
Appearance
Foliated
  
Veined or Pebbled
  
Architecture
  
  
Interior Uses
Countertops, Decorative Aggregates, Flooring, Interior Decoration
  
Countertops, Decorative Aggregates, Entryways, Floor Tiles, Flooring, Homes, Hotels, Interior Decoration, Kitchens, Stair Treads
  
Exterior Uses
As Building Stone, As Facing Stone, Garden Decoration, Paving Stone
  
As Building Stone, As Facing Stone, Bridges, Paving Stone, Garden Decoration, Near Swimming Pools, Office Buildings, Resorts
  
Other Architectural Uses
Curbing
  
Curbing
  
Industry
  
  
Construction Industry
As Dimension Stone
  
As Dimension Stone
  
Medical Industry
Not Yet Used
  
Not Yet Used
  
Antiquity Uses
Artifacts
  
Monuments, Sculpture, Small Figurines
  
Other Uses
  
  
Commercial Uses
Cemetery Markers, Jewelry, Tombstones, Used in aquariums
  
Curling, Gemstone, Laboratory bench tops, Tombstones, Used in aquariums
  
Types
Augen Gneiss, Henderson Gneiss, Lewisian Gneiss, Archean and Proterozoic Gneiss.
  
Igneous Protolith Granite, Sedimentary Protolith Granite, Mantle Granite, Anorogenic Granite, Hybrid Granite, Granodiorite and Alkali Feldspar Granite
  
Features
Generally rough to touch, Is one of the oldest rock
  
Available in Lots of Colors and Patterns, It is One of the Oldest, Strongest and Hardest Rock
  
Archaeological Significance
  
  
Monuments
Used
  
Used
  
Famous Monuments
Konark Sun Temple in India, Washington Monument, US
  
Agia Sophia in Istanbul, Turkey, Blue Domed Church in Santorini, Greece, Blue Mosque in Istanbul, Charminar in Hyderabad, India, Diana, Princess of Wales Memorial Fountain in London, UK, Ephesus in Turkey, Georgia Guidestones in Georgia, US, Hermitage in Saint Petersburg, Khajuraho Temples, India, Mahabalipuram in Tamil Nadu, India, Mysore Palace in Karnataka, India, Signers Monument in Augusta, Georgia, Statue of Liberty in New York, USA, Taj Mahal in Agra, India, Tower Bridge in London, Vietnam Veterans Memorial in Washington, US, Washington Monument, US
  
Sculpture
Not Yet Used
  
Used
  
Famous Sculptures
Not Applicable
  
Avukana Buddha Statue in Sri Lanka, Lincoln Memorial in America, Mount Rushmore National Memorial in South Dakota, US, The Colossal Red Granite Statue of Amenhotep III in Karnak, Egypt
  
Pictographs
Not Used
  
Not Used
  
Petroglyphs
Not Used
  
Not Used
  
Figurines
Not Yet Used
  
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.
  
Granite is an intrusive igneous rock which is very hard, crystalline and is visibly homogeneous in texture and forms by melting of continental rocks
  
Composition
  
  
Mineral Content
Biotite, Chlorite, Feldspar, Garnet, Graphite, Hornblade, Micas, Muscovite or Illite, Quartz, Quartzite, Silica, Zircon
  
Amphibole, Biotite, Feldspar, Hornblade, Micas, Muscovite or Illite, Plagioclase, Pyroxene, Quartz
  
Compound Content
Aluminium Oxide, NaCl, CaO, Iron(III) Oxide, FeO, Potassium Oxide, Magnesium Carbonate, MgO, MnO, Phosphorus Pentoxide, Silicon Dioxide, Titanium Dioxide
  
Aluminium Oxide, CaO, Iron(III) Oxide, FeO, Potassium Oxide, MgO, MnO, Sodium Oxide, Phosphorus Pentoxide, Silicon Dioxide, Titanium Dioxide
  
Transformation
  
  
Metamorphism
Yes
  
Yes
  
Types of Metamorphism
Impact Metamorphism
  
Burial Metamorphism, Cataclastic 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, Sea Erosion, Water Erosion
  
Physical Properties
  
  
Hardness
7
  
6-7
  
Grain Size
Medium to Coarse Grained
  
Large and Coarse Grained
  
Fracture
Irregular
  
Not Available
  
Streak
White
  
White
  
Porosity
Very Less Porous
  
Less Porous
  
Luster
Dull
  
Dull to Grainy with Sporadic parts Pearly and Vitreous
  
Compressive Strength
125.00 N/mm2
  
17
175.00 N/mm2
  
13
Cleavage
Poor
  
Not Available
  
Toughness
1.2
  
Not Available
  
Specific Gravity
2.5-2.7
  
2.6-2.7
  
Transparency
Translucent to Opaque
  
Opaque
  
Density
2.6-2.9 g/cm3
  
2.65-2.75 g/cm3
  
Thermal Properties
  
  
Specific Heat Capacity
Not Available
  
0.79 kJ/Kg K
  
16
Resistance
Heat Resistant, Pressure Resistant, Scratch Resistant, Wear Resistant
  
Heat Resistant, Wear Resistant
  
Deposits in Eastern Continents
  
  
Asia
China, India, Iran, Iraq, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Mongolia, Russia
  
China, India, Iran, Saudi Arabia, Sri Lanka, Taiwan, Thailand, Turkey, Vietnam
  
Africa
Cameroon, Ethiopia, Ghana, Kenya, Madagascar, Morocco, Mozambique, Namibia, Nigeria, Tanzania, Togo
  
Angola, Egypt, Madagascar, Namibia, Nigeria, 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
  
Austria, Belgium, Finland, France, Germany, Italy, Norway, Sardinia, Spain, Switzerland, The Czech Republic, Venezuela
  
Others
Not Yet Found
  
Not Yet Found
  
Deposits in Western Continents
  
  
North America
Canada, Costa Rica, Cuba, Mexico, Panama, USA
  
Canada, USA
  
South America
Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, Venezuela
  
Not Yet Found
  
Deposits in Oceania Continent
  
  
Australia
New South Wales, New Zealand, Queensland, Victoria
  
Not Yet Found
  
Gneiss vs Granite 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. Gneiss vs Granite characteristics assist us to distinguish and recognize rocks. Also you can check about Properties of Gneiss and Properties of Granite. Learn more about Gneiss vs Granite in the next section. The interior uses of Gneiss include Countertops, Decorative aggregates, Flooring and Interior decoration whereas the interior uses of Granite include Countertops, Decorative aggregates, Entryways, Floor tiles, Flooring, Homes, Hotels, Interior decoration, Kitchens and Stair treads. Due to some exceptional properties of Gneiss and Granite, they have various applications in construction industry. The uses of Gneiss in construction industry include As dimension stone and that of Granite include As dimension stone.
More about Gneiss and Granite
Here you can know more about Gneiss and Granite. The life cycle of a rock consists of formation of rock, composition of rock and transformation of rock. The composition of Gneiss and Granite consists of mineral content and compound content. The mineral content of Gneiss includes Biotite, Chlorite, Feldspar, Garnet, Graphite, Hornblade, Micas, Muscovite or Illite, Quartz, Quartzite, Silica, Zircon and mineral content of Granite includes Amphibole, Biotite, Feldspar, Hornblade, Micas, Muscovite or Illite, Plagioclase, Pyroxene, Quartz. You can also check out the list of all Metamorphic Rocks. When we have to compare Gneiss vs Granite, the texture, color and appearance plays an important role in determining the type of rock. Gneiss is available in black, brown, pink, red, white colors whereas, Granite is available in black, grey, orange, pink, white colors. Appearance of Gneiss is Foliated and that of Granite is Veined or Pebbled. Properties of rock is another aspect for Gneiss vs Granite. The hardness of Gneiss is 7 and that of Granite is 6-7. The types of Gneiss are Augen Gneiss, Henderson Gneiss, Lewisian Gneiss, Archean and Proterozoic Gneiss. whereas types of Granite are Igneous Protolith Granite, Sedimentary Protolith Granite, Mantle Granite, Anorogenic Granite, Hybrid Granite, Granodiorite and Alkali Feldspar Granite. Streak of rock is the color of powder produced when it is dragged across an unweathered surface. The streak of Gneiss and Granite is white. The specific heat capacity of Gneiss is Not Available and that of Granite is 0.79 kJ/Kg K. Depending on the properties like hardness, toughness, specific heat capacity, porosity etc., rocks are resistant to heat, wear, impact, etc.Gneiss is heat resistant, pressure resistant, scratch resistant, wear resistant whereas Granite is heat resistant, wear resistant.