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
Diorite is a grey to dark-grey intermediate intrusive igneous rock composed principally of plagioclase feldspar,biotite, hornblende, and pyroxene
Discoverer
Unknown
Unknown
Etymology
From Italian granito, which means grained rock, from grano grain, and from Latin granum
From early 19th century coined in French, formed irregularly from Greek diorizein distinguish
Class
Igneous Rocks
Igneous Rocks
Sub-Class
Durable Rock, Hard Rock
Durable Rock, Hard Rock
Other Categories
Coarse Grained Rock, Opaque Rock
Coarse Grained Rock, Medium Grained Rock, Opaque Rock
Texture
Granular, Phaneritic
Phaneritic
Color
Black, Grey, Orange, Pink, White
Black, Brown, Light to Dark Grey, White
Durability
Durable
Durable
Appearance
Veined or Pebbled
Shiny
Interior Uses
Countertops, Decorative Aggregates, Entryways, Floor Tiles, Flooring, Homes, Hotels, Interior Decoration, Kitchens, Stair Treads
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, Garden Decoration
Other Architectural Uses
Curbing
Curbing
Construction Industry
As Dimension Stone
As Dimension Stone, Cement Manufacture, Cobblestones, Construction Aggregate, for Road Aggregate
Medical Industry
Not Yet Used
Not Yet Used
Antiquity Uses
Monuments, Sculpture, Small Figurines
Artifacts, Monuments, Sculpture, Small Figurines
Commercial Uses
Curling, Gemstone, Laboratory bench tops, Tombstones, Used in aquariums
Creating Artwork, Curling
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
Typically speckled black and white.
Archaeological Significance
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
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
Data Not Available
Pictographs
Not Used
Not Used
Petroglyphs
Not Used
Not Used
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
Diorite is a coarse-grained intrusive igneous rock which contains large interlocking and randomly oriented crystals and forms when molten lava does not reach the Earth’s surface and cools down in the Earth’s crust.
Mineral Content
Amphibole, Biotite, Feldspar, Hornblade, Micas, Muscovite or Illite, Plagioclase, Pyroxene, Quartz
Albite, Amphibole, Apatite, Biotite, Feldspar, Hornblade, Ilmenite, Magnetite, Muscovite or Illite, Olivine, Plagioclase, Pyroxene, Quartz, Sulfides, Titanite, Zircon
Compound Content
Aluminium Oxide, CaO, Iron(III) Oxide, FeO, Potassium Oxide, MgO, MnO, Sodium Oxide, Phosphorus Pentoxide, Silicon Dioxide, Titanium Dioxide
Silicon Dioxide
Types of Metamorphism
Burial Metamorphism, Cataclastic Metamorphism
Cataclastic Metamorphism, Contact Metamorphism, Regional Metamorphism
Types of Weathering
Biological Weathering
Biological Weathering, Chemical Weathering, Mechanical Weathering
Types of Erosion
Chemical Erosion, Sea Erosion, Water Erosion
Chemical Erosion, Coastal Erosion, Water Erosion
Grain Size
Large and Coarse Grained
Medium to Coarse Grained
Fracture
Not Available
Not Available
Streak
White
Bluish Black
Porosity
Less Porous
Very Less Porous
Luster
Dull to Grainy with Sporadic parts Pearly and Vitreous
Shiny
Cleavage
Not Available
Not Available
Toughness
Not Available
2.1
Specific Gravity
2.6-2.7
2.8-3
Transparency
Opaque
Opaque
Density
2.65-2.75 g/cm3
2.8-3 g/cm3
Specific Heat Capacity
Not Available
Resistance
Heat Resistant, Wear Resistant
Heat Resistant, Pressure Resistant, Wear Resistant
Deposits in Eastern Continents
Asia
China, India, Iran, Saudi Arabia, Sri Lanka, Taiwan, Thailand, Turkey, Vietnam
Not Yet Found
Africa
Angola, Egypt, Madagascar, Namibia, Nigeria, South Africa
Egypt
Europe
Austria, Belgium, Finland, France, Germany, Italy, Norway, Sardinia, Spain, Switzerland, The Czech Republic, Venezuela
Finland, Germany, Italy, Romania, Sweden, Turkey, United Kingdom
Others
Not Yet Found
Not Yet Found
Deposits in Western Continents
North America
Canada, USA
USA
South America
Not Yet Found
Argentina, Bolivia, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru
Deposits in Oceania Continent
Australia
Not Yet Found
New Zealand, Western Australia
Granite vs Diorite 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. Granite vs Diorite characteristics assist us to distinguish and recognize rocks. Also you can check about Properties of Granite and Properties of Diorite. Learn more about Granite vs Diorite in the next section. The interior uses of Granite include Countertops, Decorative aggregates, Entryways, Floor tiles, Flooring, Homes, Hotels, Interior decoration, Kitchens and Stair treads whereas the interior uses of Diorite include Decorative aggregates and Interior decoration. Due to some exceptional properties of Granite and Diorite, they have various applications in construction industry. The uses of Granite in construction industry include As dimension stone and that of Diorite include As dimension stone, Cement manufacture, Cobblestones, Construction aggregate, For road aggregate.
More about Granite and Diorite
Here you can know more about Granite and Diorite. The life cycle of a rock consists of formation of rock, composition of rock and transformation of rock. The composition of Granite and Diorite consists of mineral content and compound content. The mineral content of Granite includes Amphibole, Biotite, Feldspar, Hornblade, Micas, Muscovite or Illite, Plagioclase, Pyroxene, Quartz and mineral content of Diorite includes Albite, Amphibole, Apatite, Biotite, Feldspar, Hornblade, Ilmenite, Magnetite, Muscovite or Illite, Olivine, Plagioclase, Pyroxene, Quartz, Sulfides, Titanite, Zircon. You can also check out the list of all Igneous Rocks. When we have to compare Granite vs Diorite, the texture, color and appearance plays an important role in determining the type of rock. Granite is available in black, grey, orange, pink, white colors whereas, Diorite is available in black, brown, light to dark grey, white colors. Appearance of Granite is Veined or Pebbled and that of Diorite is Shiny. Properties of rock is another aspect for Granite vs Diorite. Hardness of Granite and Diorite is 6-7. The types of Granite are Igneous Protolith Granite, Sedimentary Protolith Granite, Mantle Granite, Anorogenic Granite, Hybrid Granite, Granodiorite and Alkali Feldspar Granite whereas types of Diorite are Not Available. Streak of rock is the color of powder produced when it is dragged across an unweathered surface. The streak of Granite is white while that of Diorite is bluish black. The specific heat capacity of Granite is 0.79 kJ/Kg K and that of Diorite is Not Available. Depending on the properties like hardness, toughness, specific heat capacity, porosity etc., rocks are resistant to heat, wear, impact, etc.Granite is heat resistant, wear resistant whereas Diorite is heat resistant, pressure resistant, wear resistant.