Granite and Gossan

Granite

Gossan

Definition

Granite is a very hard, granular, crystalline igneous rock which consists mainly of quartz, mica, and feldspar and is often used as building stone

Gossan is intensely oxidized, weathered or decomposed rock, usually the upper and exposed part of an ore deposit or mineral vein.

History

Origin

Unknown

Indonesia

Discoverer

Unknown

Cornish Gossen

Etymology

From Italian granito, which means grained rock, from grano grain, and from Latin granum

From Cornish gossen from gos, blood from Old Cornish guit

Class

Igneous Rocks

Metamorphic Rocks

Sub-Class

Durable Rock, Hard Rock

Durable Rock, Medium Hardness Rock

Family

Group

Plutonic

Not Applicable

Other Categories

Coarse Grained Rock, Opaque Rock

Fine Grained Rock, Medium Grained Rock, Opaque Rock

Texture

Granular, Phaneritic

Rough, Sandy

Color

Black, Grey, Orange, Pink, White

Brown, Brown- Black, Gold, Green, Rust

Maintenance

Less

Durability

Durable

Water Resistant

Yes

Scratch Resistant

Yes

Stain Resistant

Yes

Wind Resistant

Yes

Acid Resistant

Appearance

Veined or Pebbled

Dull and Banded

Uses

Architecture

Interior Uses

Countertops, Decorative Aggregates, Entryways, Floor Tiles, Flooring, Homes, Hotels, Interior Decoration, Kitchens, Stair Treads

Countertops, Decorative Aggregates, Interior Decoration

Exterior Uses

As Building Stone, As Facing Stone, Bridges, Paving Stone, Garden Decoration, Near Swimming Pools, Office Buildings, Resorts

As Building Stone, As Facing Stone, Paving Stone, Garden Decoration, Office Buildings

Other Architectural Uses

Curbing

Industry

Construction Industry

As Dimension Stone

As Dimension Stone, Cement Manufacture, Construction Aggregate, for Road Aggregate

Medical Industry

Not Yet Used

Antiquity Uses

Monuments, Sculpture, Small Figurines

Artifacts

Other Uses

Commercial Uses

Curling, Gemstone, Laboratory bench tops, Tombstones, Used in aquariums

Cemetery Markers, Commemorative Tablets, Gemstone

Types

Igneous Protolith Granite, Sedimentary Protolith Granite, Mantle Granite, Anorogenic Granite, Hybrid Granite, Granodiorite and Alkali Feldspar Granite

Translocated gossan and Leakage gossan

Features

Available in Lots of Colors and Patterns, It is One of the Oldest, Strongest and Hardest Rock

Clasts are smooth to touch, Easily splits into thin plates

Archaeological Significance

Monuments

Used

Not Yet Used

Famous Monuments

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

Not Applicable

Sculpture

Used

Not Yet Used

Famous Sculptures

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

Not Applicable

Pictographs

Not Used

Used

Petroglyphs

Not Used

Used

Figurines

Used

Not Yet Used

Fossils

Absent

Formation

Granite is an intrusive igneous rock which is very hard, crystalline and is visibly homogeneous in texture and forms by melting of continental rocks

Earth movements can cause rocks to be either deeply buried or squeezed and hence the rocks are heated and put under great pressure.

Composition

Mineral Content

Amphibole, Biotite, Feldspar, Hornblade, Micas, Muscovite or Illite, Plagioclase, Pyroxene, Quartz

Apatite, Augite, Biotite, Bronzite, Calcite, Chert, Epidote, Feldspar, Hornblende, Micas, Plagioclase, Pyroxene, Quartz, Sulfides, Zircon

Compound Content

Aluminium Oxide, CaO, Iron(III) Oxide, FeO, Potassium Oxide, MgO, MnO, Sodium Oxide, Phosphorus Pentoxide, Silicon Dioxide, Titanium Dioxide

Aluminium Oxide, CaO, Fe, FeO, Silicon Dioxide, Sulphur

Transformation

Metamorphism

Yes

Types of Metamorphism

Burial Metamorphism, Cataclastic Metamorphism

Not Applicable

Weathering

Yes

Types of Weathering

Biological Weathering

Not Applicable

Erosion

Yes

Types of Erosion

Chemical Erosion, Sea Erosion, Water Erosion

Chemical Erosion, Sea Erosion, Wind Erosion

Properties

Physical Properties

Hardness

6-7

4-5

Grain Size

Large and Coarse Grained

Fine to Medium Grained

Fracture

Not Available

Conchoidal

Streak

White

White to Grey

Porosity

Less Porous

Highly Porous

Luster

Dull to Grainy with Sporadic parts Pearly and Vitreous

Metallic

Compressive Strength

175.00 N/mm²

Not Available

Cleavage

Not Available

Toughness

Not Available

Specific Gravity

2.6-2.7

2.0

Transparency

Opaque

Density

2.65-2.75 g/cm³

Not Available

Thermal Properties

Specific Heat Capacity

0.79 kJ/Kg K

0.24 kJ/Kg K

Resistance

Heat Resistant, Wear Resistant

Heat Resistant, Impact Resistant, Pressure Resistant

Reserves

Deposits in Eastern Continents

Asia

China, India, Iran, Saudi Arabia, Sri Lanka, Taiwan, Thailand, Turkey, Vietnam

China, India, Indonesia, Russia, Singapore, South Korea

Africa

Angola, Egypt, Madagascar, Namibia, Nigeria, South Africa

Cape Verde, Ethiopia, Ghana, South Africa, Western Africa

Europe

Austria, Belgium, Finland, France, Germany, Italy, Norway, Sardinia, Spain, Switzerland, The Czech Republic, Venezuela

Albania, France, Germany, Great Britain, United Kingdom

Others

Not Yet Found

Deposits in Western Continents

North America

Canada, USA

South America

Not Yet Found

Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador

Deposits in Oceania Continent

Australia

Not Yet Found

New South Wales, South Australia, Western Australia

Summary >>

<< Reserves

All about Granite and Gossan Properties

Know all about Granite and Gossan properties here. All properties of rocks are important as they define the type of rock and its application. Granite belongs to Igneous Rocks while Gossan belongs to Metamorphic Rocks.Texture of Granite is Granular, Phaneritic whereas that of Gossan is Rough, Sandy. Granite appears Veined or Pebbled and Gossan appears Dull and Banded. The luster of Granite is dull to grainy with sporadic parts pearly and vitreous while that of Gossan is metallic. Granite is available in black, grey, orange, pink, white colors whereas Gossan is available in brown, brown- black, gold, green, rust colors. The commercial uses of Granite are curling, gemstone, laboratory bench tops, tombstones, used in aquariums and that of Gossan are cemetery markers, commemorative tablets, gemstone.