Granite

Skarn

Granite and Skarn

Granite

Skarn

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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

Skarns are formed during regional or contact metamorphism and from a variety of metasomatic processes involving fluids of magmatic, metamorphic, and/or marine origin

History

Origin

USA, Australia

Discoverer

Alexander von Humboldt

Tornebohm

Etymology

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

From an old Swedish mining term originally used to describe a type of silicate gangue or waste rock.

Class

Igneous Rocks

Metamorphic Rocks

Sub-Class

Durable Rock, Hard Rock

Family

Group

Plutonic

Other Categories

Coarse Grained Rock, Opaque Rock

Fine Grained Rock, Opaque Rock

Texture

Granular, Phaneritic

Earthy, Mud-rich, Rough

Color

Black, Grey, Orange, Pink, White

Black, Brown, Green, Grey, White

Maintenance

Less

Durability

Durable

Water Resistant

✔ ✘

Scratch Resistant

✔ ✘

Stain Resistant

✔ ✘

Wind Resistant

✔ ✘

Acid Resistant

✔ ✘

Appearance

Veined or Pebbled

Dull

Uses

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, Paving Stone

Other Architectural Uses

Curbing

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, Gold and Silver production, Manufacture of Magnesium and Dolomite Refractories

Medical Industry

Antiquity Uses

Monuments, Sculpture, Small Figurines

Artifacts, Monuments, Sculpture

Other Uses

Commercial Uses

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

Creating Artwork, Gemstone, Jewelry, Metallurgical Flux, Source of Magnesia (MgO)

Types

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

Endoskarns

Features

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

Host Rock for Lead, Zinc and Copper Deposits

Archaeological Significance

Monuments

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

Sculpture

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

Pictographs

Petroglyphs

Figurines

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

Due to change in environmental conditions, rocks are heated and pressurized deep inside the Earth's surface. Skarn 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

Calcite, Enstatite, Epidote, Garnet, Magnetite, Pyroxene, Titanite

Compound Content

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

Au, CaO, Carbon Dioxide, Cu, Fe, MgO

Transformation

Metamorphism

✔ ✘

Types of Metamorphism

Burial Metamorphism, Cataclastic Metamorphism

Burial Metamorphism, Cataclastic Metamorphism, Contact Metamorphism, Hydrothermal Metamorphism, Impact Metamorphism, Regional Metamorphism

Weathering

✔ ✘

Types of Weathering

Biological Weathering

Erosion

✔ ✘

Types of Erosion

Chemical Erosion, Sea Erosion, Water Erosion

Properties

Physical Properties

Hardness

6-76.5

1 7

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Grain Size

Large and Coarse Grained

Fine Grained

Fracture

Irregular

Streak

White

Light to dark brown

Porosity

Less Porous

Luster

Dull to Grainy with Sporadic parts Pearly and Vitreous

Waxy and Dull

Compressive Strength

175.00 N/mm²70.00 N/mm²

0.15 450

👆🏻

Cleavage

Slaty

Toughness

2.4

Specific Gravity

2.6-2.72.86

0 8.4

👆🏻

Transparency

Opaque

Density

2.65-2.75 g/cm³2.8-2.9 g/cm³

0 1400

👆🏻

Thermal Properties

Specific Heat Capacity

0.79 kJ/Kg K0.92 kJ/Kg K

0.14 3.2

👆🏻

Resistance

Heat Resistant, Wear Resistant

Heat Resistant

Reserves

Deposits in Eastern Continents

Asia

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

China, India, Russia, Saudi Arabia, South Korea, Sri Lanka

Africa

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

South Africa, Western Africa

Europe

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

United Kingdom

Others

Deposits in Western Continents

North America

Canada, USA

Canada

South America

Brazil, Colombia, Paraguay

Deposits in Oceania Continent

Australia

Central Australia, Western Australia

All about Granite and Skarn Properties

Know all about Granite and Skarn properties here. All properties of rocks are important as they define the type of rock and its application. Granite belongs to Igneous Rocks while Skarn belongs to Metamorphic Rocks.Texture of Granite is Granular, Phaneritic whereas that of Skarn is Earthy, Mud-rich, Rough. Granite appears Veined or Pebbled and Skarn appears Dull. The luster of Granite is dull to grainy with sporadic parts pearly and vitreous while that of Skarn is waxy and dull. Granite is available in black, grey, orange, pink, white colors whereas Skarn is available in black, brown, green, grey, white colors. The commercial uses of Granite are curling, gemstone, laboratory bench tops, tombstones, used in aquariums and that of Skarn are creating artwork, gemstone, jewelry, metallurgical flux, source of magnesia (mgo).