Definition
Granophyre is a type of granitic rock which consists of intergrown feldspar and quartz crystals in a medium to fine grained groundmass
Porphyry is a reddish-brown to purple igneous rock containing large phenocrysts of various minerals embedded in a fine-grained matrix
Discoverer
Unknown
Unknown
Etymology
From German Granophyr, from Granit granite + Porphyr
From Old French porfire, from Italian porfiro and in some cases directly from Latin porphyrites
Class
Igneous Rocks
Igneous Rocks
Sub-Class
Durable Rock, Hard Rock
Durable Rock, Hard Rock
Other Categories
Coarse Grained Rock, Fine Grained Rock, Medium Grained Rock, Opaque Rock
Fine Grained Rock, Opaque Rock
Texture
Granophyric
Porphyritic
Color
Black, Grey, Orange, Pink, White
Black, Brown, Colourless, Green, Grey, Red, Rust, White
Durability
Durable
Durable
Scratch Resistant
Yes
Yes
Appearance
Veined or Pebbled
Dull
Interior Uses
Bathrooms, 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, Garden Decoration, Office Buildings, Paving Stone
Garden Decoration, Paving Stone
Other Architectural Uses
Not Yet Used
Curbing
Construction Industry
As Dimension Stone
Construction Aggregate
Medical Industry
Not Yet Used
Not Yet Used
Antiquity Uses
Artifacts, Monuments, Sculpture, Small Figurines
Artifacts, Monuments, Sculpture
Commercial Uses
Curling, Gemstone, Laboratory bench tops, Tombstones
Creating Artwork, Gemstone, Jewelry
Types
Not Available
Rhomb Porphyry
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, Surfaces are often shiny
Archaeological Significance
Famous Monuments
Data Not Available
Data Not Available
Famous Sculptures
Data Not Available
Data Not Available
Pictographs
Not Used
Not Used
Petroglyphs
Not Used
Not 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.
Porphyry is formed in two stages: the magma cools slowly deep within the crust or the magma is cools rapidly as it erupts from a volcano, creating small grains that are usually invisible to naked eye.
Mineral Content
Hornblade, Orthoclase, Plagioclase, Quartz
Biotite, Chert, Feldspar, Garnet, Graphite, Quartz, Silica
Compound Content
Aluminium Oxide, CaO, Iron(III) Oxide, FeO, Potassium Oxide, MgO, MnO, Sodium Oxide, Phosphorus Pentoxide, Silicon Dioxide, Titanium Dioxide
Aluminium Oxide, CaO, Iron(III) Oxide, Potassium Oxide, MgO, Sodium Oxide, Silicon Dioxide, Titanium Dioxide
Types of Metamorphism
Burial Metamorphism, Impact Metamorphism
Burial Metamorphism, Cataclastic Metamorphism, Contact Metamorphism, Hydrothermal Metamorphism, Impact Metamorphism, Regional Metamorphism
Types of Weathering
Biological Weathering
Biological Weathering, Chemical Weathering, Not Registered
Types of Erosion
Glacier Erosion, Sea Erosion, Wind Erosion
Chemical Erosion, Coastal Erosion, Glacier Erosion
Grain Size
Medium to Fine Coarse Grained
Fine Grained
Fracture
Not Available
Irregular
Porosity
Less Porous
Less Porous
Luster
Dull to Grainy with Sporadic parts Pearly and Vitreous
Dull
Compressive Strength
Not Available
Cleavage
Not Available
Imperfect
Toughness
Not Available
1.7
Specific Gravity
2.6-2.7
2.5-4
Transparency
Opaque
Translucent to Opaque
Density
2.6-2.8 g/cm3
2.5-2.52 g/cm3
Specific Heat Capacity
Not Available
Resistance
Heat Resistant, Wear Resistant
Heat Resistant, Impact Resistant
Deposits in Eastern Continents
Asia
China, India, Iran, Saudi Arabia, Sri Lanka, Taiwan, Thailand, Turkey, Vietnam
China, Kazakhstan, South Korea, Thailand, Turkey, Vietnam
Africa
Angola, Egypt, Madagascar, Namibia, Nigeria, South Africa
Egypt, Ethiopia, Ghana, South Africa
Europe
Austria, Belgium, Finland, France, Germany, Italy, Norway, Sardinia, Spain, Switzerland, The Czech Republic, Venezuela
Finland, France, Germany, Great Britain, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Netherlands, Norway, Romania, Sweden, Switzerland
Others
Not Yet Found
Greenland
Deposits in Western Continents
North America
Canada, USA
Canada, Cuba, Jamaica, USA
South America
Not Yet Found
Bolivia, Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador, Paraguay
Deposits in Oceania Continent
Australia
Not Yet Found
New South Wales, New Zealand, Western Australia