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
Travertine is a mineral consisting of layered calcium carbonate formed by deposition from spring waters
Discoverer
Alexander von Humboldt
Marcus Vitruvius Pollio
Etymology
From Italian granito, which means grained rock, from grano grain, and from Latin granum
From Italian travertino a kind of building stone, from Tiburs, adjective from Tibur (Tivoli), in Italy
Class
Igneous Rocks
Sedimentary Rocks
Sub-Class
Durable Rock, Hard Rock
Durable Rock, Medium Hardness Rock
Other Categories
Coarse Grained Rock, Opaque Rock
Fine Grained Rock, Opaque Rock
Texture
Granular, Phaneritic
Banded
Color
Black, Grey, Orange, Pink, White
Beige, Black, Blue, Brown, Grey, Red, White, Yellow
Durability
Durable
Durable
Scratch Resistant
Yes
Yes
Appearance
Veined or Pebbled
Fibrous
Interior Uses
Countertops, Decorative Aggregates, Entryways, Floor Tiles, Flooring, Homes, Hotels, Interior Decoration, Kitchens, Stair Treads
Decorative Aggregates, Entryways, Flooring, Homes, 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
Curbing
Construction Industry
As Dimension Stone
As Dimension Stone, Building houses or walls, Cement Manufacture, Construction Aggregate, for Road Aggregate, Raw material for the manufacture of mortar
Antiquity Uses
Monuments, Sculpture, Small Figurines
Artifacts, Jewellery, Monuments, Sculpture, Small Figurines
Commercial Uses
Curling, Gemstone, Laboratory bench tops, Tombstones, Used in aquariums
Cemetery Markers, Creating Artwork, Gemstone, Jewelry, Paper Industry, Pottery
Types
Igneous Protolith Granite, Sedimentary Protolith Granite, Mantle Granite, Anorogenic Granite, Hybrid Granite, Granodiorite and Alkali Feldspar Granite
Thermal Travertine and Tufa
Features
Available in Lots of Colors and Patterns, It is One of the Oldest, Strongest and Hardest Rock
Stalactites and stalagmites are formed from this rock, Surfaces are often shiny, Very fine grained rock
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
Colosseum in Rome, Italy, Sacré Coeur in Paris, France, Trevi Fountain in Rome, Italy
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
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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
Travertine is a type of sedimentary rock formed when a river carries or transports pieces of broken rock which then undergo sedimentation. They are then subjected to high temperature and pressure hence forming travertine rock.
Mineral Content
Amphibole, Biotite, Feldspar, Hornblade, Micas, Muscovite or Illite, Plagioclase, Pyroxene, Quartz
Calcite, Clay, Feldspar, Micas, Quartz
Compound Content
Aluminium Oxide, CaO, Iron(III) Oxide, FeO, Potassium Oxide, MgO, MnO, Sodium Oxide, Phosphorus Pentoxide, Silicon Dioxide, Titanium Dioxide
Ca, NaCl, CaO, Oxygen
Types of Metamorphism
Burial Metamorphism, Cataclastic Metamorphism
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Types of Weathering
Biological Weathering
Biological Weathering, Chemical Weathering, Mechanical Weathering
Types of Erosion
Chemical Erosion, Sea Erosion, Water Erosion
Chemical Erosion, Coastal Erosion, Glacier Erosion
Grain Size
Large and Coarse Grained
Fine Grained
Porosity
Less Porous
Highly Porous
Luster
Dull to Grainy with Sporadic parts Pearly and Vitreous
Dull to Pearly
Specific Gravity
2.6-2.7
1.68
Transparency
Opaque
Opaque
Density
2.65-2.75 g/cm3
2.71 g/cm3
Resistance
Heat Resistant, Wear Resistant
Impact Resistant, Pressure Resistant, Wear Resistant
Deposits in Eastern Continents
Asia
China, India, Iran, Saudi Arabia, Sri Lanka, Taiwan, Thailand, Turkey, Vietnam
China, Russia
Africa
Angola, Egypt, Madagascar, Namibia, Nigeria, South Africa
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Europe
Austria, Belgium, Finland, France, Germany, Italy, Norway, Sardinia, Spain, Switzerland, The Czech Republic
Austria, Italy, Portugal, United Kingdom
Deposits in Western Continents
North America
Canada, USA
Canada, USA
South America
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Argentina, Bolivia, Ecuador
Deposits in Oceania Continent
Granite vs Travertine 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 Travertine characteristics assist us to distinguish and recognize rocks. Also you can check about Properties of Granite and Properties of Travertine. Learn more about Granite vs Travertine 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 Travertine include Decorative aggregates, Entryways, Flooring, Homes and Interior decoration. Due to some exceptional properties of Granite and Travertine, they have various applications in construction industry. The uses of Granite in construction industry include As dimension stone and that of Travertine include As dimension stone, Building houses or walls, Cement manufacture, Construction aggregate, For road aggregate, Raw material for the manufacture of mortar.
More about Granite and Travertine
Here you can know more about Granite and Travertine. The life cycle of a rock consists of formation of rock, composition of rock and transformation of rock. The composition of Granite and Travertine 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 Travertine includes Calcite, Clay, Feldspar, Micas, Quartz. You can also check out the list of all Igneous Rocks. When we have to compare Granite vs Travertine, 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, Travertine is available in beige, black, blue, brown, grey, red, white, yellow colors. Appearance of Granite is Veined or Pebbled and that of Travertine is Fibrous. Properties of rock is another aspect for Granite vs Travertine. The hardness of Granite is 6-7 and that of Travertine is 3-4. 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 Travertine are Thermal Travertine and Tufa. Streak of rock is the color of powder produced when it is dragged across an unweathered surface. The streak of Granite and Travertine is white. The specific heat capacity of Granite is 0.79 kJ/Kg K and that of Travertine is 1.09 kJ/Kg K. 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 Travertine is impact resistant, pressure resistant, wear resistant.