Definition
Granophyre is a type of granitic rock which consists of intergrown feldspar and quartz crystals in a medium to fine grained groundmass
Minette is a variety of Lamprophyre and is porphyritic alkaline igneous rock which is mainly dominated by biotite and potassic feldspar
Discoverer
Unknown
Unknown
Etymology
From German Granophyr, from Granit granite + Porphyr
From French mine ore, mine + ette
Class
Igneous Rocks
Igneous Rocks
Sub-Class
Durable Rock, Hard Rock
Durable Rock, Medium Hardness Rock
Other Categories
Coarse Grained Rock, Fine Grained Rock, Medium Grained Rock, Opaque Rock
Coarse Grained Rock, Fine Grained Rock, Opaque Rock
Texture
Granophyric
Porphyritic
Color
Black, Grey, Orange, Pink, White
Black, Bluish - Grey, Brown, Dark Greenish - Grey, Green, Grey
Durability
Durable
Durable
Scratch Resistant
Yes
Yes
Appearance
Veined or Pebbled
Dull, Banded and Foilated
Interior Uses
Bathrooms, Countertops, Decorative Aggregates, Entryways, Floor Tiles, Flooring, Homes, Hotels, Interior Decoration, Kitchens, Stair Treads
Countertops, Decorative Aggregates, 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
Other Architectural Uses
-
Curbing
Construction Industry
As Dimension Stone
As Dimension Stone, Cement Manufacture, for Road Aggregate, Making natural cement, Manufacture of Magnesium and Dolomite Refractories
Medical Industry
-
Taken as a Supplement for Calcium or Magnesium
Antiquity Uses
Artifacts, Monuments, Sculpture, Small Figurines
Artifacts, Monuments, Sculpture, Small Figurines
Commercial Uses
Curling, Gemstone, Laboratory bench tops, Tombstones
An Oil and Gas Reservoir, As a Feed Additive for Livestock, Gemstone, Metallurgical Flux, Production of Lime, Soil Conditioner, Source of Magnesia (MgO)
Types
Intermediate intrusive rock
Minette, Alnoite, Camptonite, Monchiquite, Fourchite, Vogesite, Appinite and Spessartite
Features
Available in Lots of Colors and Patterns, It is One of the Oldest, Strongest and Hardest Rock
Always found as volcanic pipes over deep continental crust, Host rock for Diamond, Is one of the oldest rock, Surfaces are often shiny
Archaeological Significance
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.
Minette formation takes place deep beneath the Earth’s surface at around 150 to 450 kms, and are erupted rapidly and violently.
Mineral Content
Hornblade, Orthoclase, Plagioclase, Quartz
Amphibole, Carbonate, Garnet, Micas, Olivine, Phlogopite, Pyroxene
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, MgO, MnO, 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
Types of Erosion
Glacier Erosion, Sea Erosion, Wind Erosion
Chemical Erosion, Coastal Erosion, Sea Erosion, Wind Erosion
Grain Size
Medium to Fine Coarse Grained
Fine to Coarse Grained
Porosity
Less Porous
Very Less Porous
Luster
Dull to Grainy with Sporadic parts Pearly and Vitreous
Subvitreous to Dull
Specific Gravity
2.6-2.7
2.86-2.87
Transparency
Opaque
Translucent to Opaque
Density
2.6-2.8 g/cm3
2.95-2.96 g/cm3
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
Russia
Africa
Angola, Egypt, Madagascar, Namibia, Nigeria, South Africa
Angola, Botswana, Cameroon, Ethiopia, South Africa
Europe
Austria, Belgium, Finland, France, Germany, Italy, Norway, Sardinia, Spain, Switzerland, The Czech Republic
England, Hungary, Iceland, United Kingdom
Others
-
Antarctica, Greenland
Deposits in Western Continents
North America
Canada, USA
Canada, Mexico, USA
South America
-
Argentina, Colombia, Ecuador
Deposits in Oceania Continent
Australia
-
New South Wales, New Zealand, Queensland, South Australia, Western Australia
Granophyre vs Minette 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. Granophyre vs Minette characteristics assist us to distinguish and recognize rocks. Also you can check about Properties of Granophyre and Properties of Minette. Learn more about Granophyre vs Minette in the next section. The interior uses of Granophyre include Bathrooms, Countertops, Decorative aggregates, Entryways, Floor tiles, Flooring, Homes, Hotels, Interior decoration, Kitchens and Stair treads whereas the interior uses of Minette include Countertops, Decorative aggregates and Interior decoration. Due to some exceptional properties of Granophyre and Minette, they have various applications in construction industry. The uses of Granophyre in construction industry include As dimension stone and that of Minette include As dimension stone, Cement manufacture, For road aggregate, Making natural cement, Manufacture of magnesium and dolomite refractories.
More about Granophyre and Minette
Here you can know more about Granophyre and Minette. The life cycle of a rock consists of formation of rock, composition of rock and transformation of rock. The composition of Granophyre and Minette consists of mineral content and compound content. The mineral content of Granophyre includes Hornblade, Orthoclase, Plagioclase, Quartz and mineral content of Minette includes Amphibole, Carbonate, Garnet, Micas, Olivine, Phlogopite, Pyroxene. You can also check out the list of all Igneous Rocks. When we have to compare Granophyre vs Minette, the texture, color and appearance plays an important role in determining the type of rock. Granophyre is available in black, grey, orange, pink, white colors whereas, Minette is available in black, bluish - grey, brown, dark greenish - grey, green, grey colors. Appearance of Granophyre is Veined or Pebbled and that of Minette is Dull, Banded and Foilated. Properties of rock is another aspect for Granophyre vs Minette. The hardness of Granophyre is 6-7 and that of Minette is 5-6. The types of Granophyre are Intermediate intrusive rock whereas types of Minette are Minette, Alnoite, Camptonite, Monchiquite, Fourchite, Vogesite, Appinite and Spessartite. Streak of rock is the color of powder produced when it is dragged across an unweathered surface. The streak of Granophyre and Minette is white. The specific heat capacity of Granophyre is 0.79 kJ/Kg K and that of Minette is 0.79 kJ/Kg K. Depending on the properties like hardness, toughness, specific heat capacity, porosity etc., rocks are resistant to heat, wear, impact, etc.Granophyre is heat resistant, wear resistant whereas Minette is heat resistant, impact resistant.