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
  
Very fine grained fault rock which is composed of glassy matrix that often contains inclusions of wall-rock fragments.
  
History
  
  
Origin
Unknown
  
USA
  
Discoverer
Unknown
  
Unknown
  
Etymology
From Italian granito, which means grained rock, from grano grain, and from Latin granum
  
From pseudo- + tachylite, a glassy rock generated by frictional heat within faults.
  
Class
Igneous Rocks
  
Metamorphic Rocks
  
Sub-Class
Durable Rock, Hard Rock
  
Durable Rock, Hard Rock
  
Family
  
  
Group
Plutonic
  
Not Applicable
  
Other Categories
Coarse Grained Rock, Opaque Rock
  
Fine Grained Rock, Opaque Rock
  
Texture
Granular, Phaneritic
  
Quench
  
Color
Black, Grey, Orange, Pink, White
  
Black, Brown, Colourless, Green, Grey, Pink, White
  
Maintenance
More
  
Less
  
Durability
Durable
  
Durable
  
Water Resistant
Yes
  
Yes
  
Scratch Resistant
Yes
  
Yes
  
Stain Resistant
Yes
  
No
  
Wind Resistant
Yes
  
Yes
  
Acid Resistant
No
  
Yes
  
Appearance
Veined or Pebbled
  
Dull and Soft
  
Architecture
  
  
Interior Uses
Countertops, Decorative Aggregates, Entryways, Floor Tiles, Flooring, Homes, Hotels, Interior Decoration, Kitchens, Stair Treads
  
Decorative Aggregates, Entryways, 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, Garden Decoration
  
Other Architectural Uses
Curbing
  
Curbing
  
Industry
  
  
Construction Industry
As Dimension Stone
  
As Dimension Stone, Cement Manufacture, for Road Aggregate, Making natural cement
  
Medical Industry
Not Yet Used
  
Not Yet Used
  
Antiquity Uses
Monuments, Sculpture, Small Figurines
  
Artifacts, Monuments
  
Other Uses
  
  
Commercial Uses
Curling, Gemstone, Laboratory bench tops, Tombstones, Used in aquariums
  
Creating Artwork, Gemstone
  
Types
Igneous Protolith Granite, Sedimentary Protolith Granite, Mantle Granite, Anorogenic Granite, Hybrid Granite, Granodiorite and Alkali Feldspar Granite
  
Not Available
  
Features
Available in Lots of Colors and Patterns, It is One of the Oldest, Strongest and Hardest Rock
  
Host Rock for Lead
  
Archaeological Significance
  
  
Monuments
Used
  
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
  
Data Not Available
  
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
  
Not Used
  
Petroglyphs
Not Used
  
Not Used
  
Figurines
Used
  
Not Yet Used
  
Fossils
Absent
  
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
  
Due to change in environmental conditions, rocks are heated and pressurized deep inside the Earth's surface. Pseudotachylite is formed from the extreme heat caused by magma or by the intense collisions and friction of tectonic plates.
  
Composition
  
  
Mineral Content
Amphibole, Biotite, Feldspar, Hornblade, Micas, Muscovite or Illite, Plagioclase, Pyroxene, Quartz
  
Iron Oxides, Pyroxene, Quartz, Stishovite, Sulfides
  
Compound Content
Aluminium Oxide, CaO, Iron(III) Oxide, FeO, Potassium Oxide, MgO, MnO, Sodium Oxide, Phosphorus Pentoxide, Silicon Dioxide, Titanium Dioxide
  
Carbon Dioxide, Silicon Dioxide, Sulfur Dioxide, Sulphur
  
Transformation
  
  
Metamorphism
Yes
  
Yes
  
Types of Metamorphism
Burial Metamorphism, Cataclastic Metamorphism
  
Burial Metamorphism, Cataclastic Metamorphism, Contact Metamorphism
  
Weathering
Yes
  
No
  
Types of Weathering
Biological Weathering
  
Not Applicable
  
Erosion
Yes
  
No
  
Types of Erosion
Chemical Erosion, Sea Erosion, Water Erosion
  
Not Applicable
  
Physical Properties
  
  
Hardness
6-7
  
7
  
Grain Size
Large and Coarse Grained
  
Very fine-grained
  
Fracture
Not Available
  
Uneven
  
Streak
White
  
Light to dark brown
  
Porosity
Less Porous
  
Less Porous
  
Luster
Dull to Grainy with Sporadic parts Pearly and Vitreous
  
Vitreous
  
Compressive Strength
175.00 N/mm2
  
13
60.00 N/mm2
  
25
Cleavage
Not Available
  
Irregular
  
Toughness
Not Available
  
Not Available
  
Specific Gravity
2.6-2.7
  
2.46-2.86
  
Transparency
Opaque
  
Transparent to Translucent
  
Density
2.65-2.75 g/cm3
  
2.7-2.9 g/cm3
  
Thermal Properties
  
  
Specific Heat Capacity
0.79 kJ/Kg K
  
16
0.92 kJ/Kg K
  
10
Resistance
Heat Resistant, Wear Resistant
  
Heat Resistant
  
Deposits in Eastern Continents
  
  
Asia
China, India, Iran, Saudi Arabia, Sri Lanka, Taiwan, Thailand, Turkey, Vietnam
  
South Korea
  
Africa
Angola, Egypt, Madagascar, Namibia, Nigeria, South Africa
  
Western Africa
  
Europe
Austria, Belgium, Finland, France, Germany, Italy, Norway, Sardinia, Spain, Switzerland, The Czech Republic, Venezuela
  
Great Britain, Switzerland
  
Others
Not Yet Found
  
Not Yet Found
  
Deposits in Western Continents
  
  
North America
Canada, USA
  
Not Yet Found
  
South America
Not Yet Found
  
Not Yet Found
  
Deposits in Oceania Continent
  
  
Australia
Not Yet Found
  
Central Australia, Western Australia