Granite and Schist

Granite

Schist

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

Schist is a medium grade metamorphic rock with medium to large, flat, sheet like grains in a preferred orientation

History

Discoverer

Unknown

Etymology

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

From French schiste, Greek skhistos i.e. split

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

Coarse Grained Rock, Fine Grained Rock, Medium Grained Rock, Opaque Rock

Texture

Granular, Phaneritic

Foliated, Platy

Color

Black, Grey, Orange, Pink, White

Black, Blue, Brown, Dark Brown, Green, Grey, Silver

Maintenance

Less

Durability

Durable

Water Resistant

Yes

Scratch Resistant

Yes

Stain Resistant

Yes

Wind Resistant

Yes

Acid Resistant

Appearance

Veined or Pebbled

Layered and Shiny

Uses

Architecture

Interior Uses

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

Decorative Aggregates, Floor Tiles, Interior Decoration

Exterior Uses

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

Garden Decoration, Paving Stone

Other Architectural Uses

Curbing

Not Yet Used

Industry

Construction Industry

As Dimension Stone

As Dimension Stone, Building houses or walls, Cement Manufacture, for Road Aggregate, Roadstone

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

Used in aquariums, Writing Slates

Types

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

Mica Schists, Calc-Silicate Schists, Graphite Schists, Blueschists, Whiteschists, Greenschists, Hornblende Schist, Talc Schist, Chlorite Schist, Garnet Schist, Glaucophane schist.

Features

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

Easily splits into thin plates, Smooth to touch

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

Schist formed by dynamic metamorphism at high temperatures and pressures that aligns the grains of mica, hornblende and other elongated minerals into thin layers.

Composition

Mineral Content

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

Alusite, Amphibole, Biotite, Chlorite, Epidote, Feldspar, Garnet, Graphite, Hornblade, Kyanite, Micas, Muscovite or Illite, Porphyroblasts, Quartz, Sillimanite, Staurolite, Talc

Compound Content

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

CaO, Carbon Dioxide, MgO

Transformation

Metamorphism

Yes

Types of Metamorphism

Burial Metamorphism, Cataclastic Metamorphism

Not Applicable

Weathering

Yes

Types of Weathering

Biological Weathering

Biological Weathering, Chemical Weathering, Mechanical Weathering

Erosion

Yes

Types of Erosion

Chemical Erosion, Sea Erosion, Water Erosion

Chemical Erosion, Coastal Erosion, Glacier Erosion

Properties

Physical Properties

Hardness

6-7

3.5-4

Grain Size

Large and Coarse Grained

Medium to Fine Coarse Grained

Fracture

Not Available

Conchoidal

Streak

White

Porosity

Less Porous

Highly Porous

Luster

Dull to Grainy with Sporadic parts Pearly and Vitreous

Shiny

Compressive Strength

175.00 N/mm²

Not Available

Cleavage

Not Available

Slaty

Toughness

Not Available

1.5

Specific Gravity

2.6-2.7

2.5-2.9

Transparency

Opaque

Density

2.65-2.75 g/cm³

2.8-2.9 g/cm³

Thermal Properties

Specific Heat Capacity

0.79 kJ/Kg K

Not Available

Resistance

Heat Resistant, Wear Resistant

Impact Resistant, Pressure Resistant, Water Resistant

Reserves

Deposits in Eastern Continents

Asia

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

Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, China, India, Japan, Kazakhstan, Malaysia, Pakistan, Russia, Thailand, Turkey, Vietnam

Africa

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

Egypt, Ethiopia, Morocco, Nigeria, South Africa

Europe

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

Austria, England, France, Georgia, Germany, Italy, Liechtenstein, Monaco, Norway, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland

Others

Not Yet Found

Deposits in Western Continents

North America

Canada, USA

Canada, Costa Rica, Cuba, Mexico, Panama, USA

South America

Not Yet Found

Brazil, Colombia, Guyana

Deposits in Oceania Continent

Australia

Not Yet Found

New South Wales, New Zealand, Queensland

Summary >>

<< Reserves

All about Granite and Schist Properties

Know all about Granite and Schist properties here. All properties of rocks are important as they define the type of rock and its application. Granite belongs to Igneous Rocks while Schist belongs to Metamorphic Rocks.Texture of Granite is Granular, Phaneritic whereas that of Schist is Foliated, Platy. Granite appears Veined or Pebbled and Schist appears Layered and Shiny. The luster of Granite is dull to grainy with sporadic parts pearly and vitreous while that of Schist is shiny. Granite is available in black, grey, orange, pink, white colors whereas Schist is available in black, blue, brown, dark brown, green, grey, silver colors. The commercial uses of Granite are curling, gemstone, laboratory bench tops, tombstones, used in aquariums and that of Schist are used in aquariums, writing slates.