Definition
Granophyre is a type of granitic rock which consists of intergrown feldspar and quartz crystals in a medium to fine grained groundmass
Gneiss is a common and widely distributed type of rock formed by high-grade regional metamorphic processes from pre-existing formations that were originally either igneous or sedimentary rocks
Discoverer
Unknown
Unknown
Etymology
From German Granophyr, from Granit granite + Porphyr
From the Middle High German verb gneist (to spark; so called because the rock glitters)
Class
Igneous Rocks
Metamorphic Rocks
Sub-Class
Durable Rock, Hard Rock
Durable Rock, Hard Rock
Group
Volcanic
Not Applicable
Other Categories
Coarse Grained Rock, Fine Grained Rock, Medium Grained Rock, Opaque Rock
Coarse Grained Rock, Medium Grained Rock, Opaque Rock
Texture
Granophyric
Banded, Foliated, Platy
Color
Black, Grey, Orange, Pink, White
Black, Brown, Pink, Red, White
Durability
Durable
Durable
Scratch Resistant
Yes
Yes
Appearance
Veined or Pebbled
Foliated
Interior Uses
Bathrooms, Countertops, Decorative Aggregates, Entryways, Floor Tiles, Flooring, Homes, Hotels, Interior Decoration, Kitchens, Stair Treads
Countertops, Decorative Aggregates, Flooring, Interior Decoration
Exterior Uses
As Building Stone, As Facing Stone, Bridges, Garden Decoration, Office Buildings, Paving Stone
As Building Stone, As Facing Stone, Garden Decoration, Paving Stone
Other Architectural Uses
Not Yet Used
Curbing
Construction Industry
As Dimension Stone
As Dimension Stone
Medical Industry
Not Yet Used
Not Yet Used
Antiquity Uses
Artifacts, Monuments, Sculpture, Small Figurines
Artifacts
Commercial Uses
Curling, Gemstone, Laboratory bench tops, Tombstones
Cemetery Markers, Jewelry, Tombstones, Used in aquariums
Types
Not Available
Augen Gneiss, Henderson Gneiss, Lewisian Gneiss, Archean and Proterozoic Gneiss.
Features
Available in Lots of Colors and Patterns, It is One of the Oldest, Strongest and Hardest Rock
Generally rough to touch, Is one of the oldest rock
Archaeological Significance
Famous Monuments
Data Not Available
Konark Sun Temple in India, Washington Monument, US
Sculpture
Used
Not Yet Used
Famous Sculptures
Data Not Available
Not Applicable
Pictographs
Not Used
Not Used
Petroglyphs
Not Used
Not Used
Figurines
Used
Not Yet Used
Formation
Granophyre is a fine-grained, hard rock which is a type of metasomatite, essentially altered basalt. It forms with or without crystallization, either below the surface as intrusive rocks or on the surface as extrusive rocks.
Gneiss is a high grade metamorphic rock i.e. it has been subjected to higher temperatures and pressures than schist. It is formed by the metamorphosis of Gneiss forms from volcanic rock, shale or granitie.
Mineral Content
Hornblade, Orthoclase, Plagioclase, Quartz
Biotite, Chlorite, Feldspar, Garnet, Graphite, Hornblade, Micas, Muscovite or Illite, Quartz, Quartzite, Silica, Zircon
Compound Content
Aluminium Oxide, CaO, Iron(III) Oxide, FeO, Potassium Oxide, MgO, MnO, Sodium Oxide, Phosphorus Pentoxide, Silicon Dioxide, Titanium Dioxide
Aluminium Oxide, NaCl, CaO, Iron(III) Oxide, FeO, Potassium Oxide, Magnesium Carbonate, MgO, MnO, Phosphorus Pentoxide, Silicon Dioxide, Titanium Dioxide
Types of Metamorphism
Burial Metamorphism, Impact Metamorphism
Impact Metamorphism
Types of Weathering
Biological Weathering
Biological Weathering, Mechanical Weathering
Types of Erosion
Glacier Erosion, Sea Erosion, Wind Erosion
Chemical Erosion, Coastal Erosion, Sea Erosion
Grain Size
Medium to Fine Coarse Grained
Medium to Coarse Grained
Fracture
Not Available
Irregular
Porosity
Less Porous
Very Less Porous
Luster
Dull to Grainy with Sporadic parts Pearly and Vitreous
Dull
Cleavage
Not Available
Poor
Toughness
Not Available
1.2
Specific Gravity
2.6-2.7
2.5-2.7
Transparency
Opaque
Translucent to Opaque
Density
2.6-2.8 g/cm3
2.6-2.9 g/cm3
Specific Heat Capacity
Not Available
Resistance
Heat Resistant, Wear Resistant
Heat Resistant, Pressure Resistant, Scratch Resistant, Wear Resistant
Deposits in Eastern Continents
Asia
China, India, Iran, Saudi Arabia, Sri Lanka, Taiwan, Thailand, Turkey, Vietnam
China, India, Iran, Iraq, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Mongolia, Russia
Africa
Angola, Egypt, Madagascar, Namibia, Nigeria, South Africa
Cameroon, Ethiopia, Ghana, Kenya, Madagascar, Morocco, Mozambique, Namibia, Nigeria, Tanzania, Togo
Europe
Austria, Belgium, Finland, France, Germany, Italy, Norway, Sardinia, Spain, Switzerland, The Czech Republic, Venezuela
Albania, Austria, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Finland, France, Georgia, Germany, Hungary, Italy, Kosovo, Monaco, Norway, Poland, Romania, Serbia, Slovakia, Slovenia, Switzerland, Ukraine, United Kingdom
Others
Not Yet Found
Not Yet Found
Deposits in Western Continents
North America
Canada, USA
Canada, Costa Rica, Cuba, Mexico, Panama, USA
South America
Not Yet Found
Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, Venezuela
Deposits in Oceania Continent
Australia
Not Yet Found
New South Wales, New Zealand, Queensland, Victoria