Definition
Granulite is fine to medium grained metamorphic rock with a granular of polygonal crystals.
  
Peridotite is a dense, coarse-grained plutonic is the main constituent of the earth's mantle
  
History
  
  
Origin
Central Europe
  
Pike County, U.S
  
Discoverer
Unknown
  
Unknown
  
Etymology
From Latin granulum, a little grain or fine grained
  
From French, from peridot + -ite
  
Class
Metamorphic Rocks
  
Igneous Rocks
  
Sub-Class
Durable Rock, Hard Rock
  
Durable Rock, Medium Hardness Rock
  
Family
  
  
Group
Not Applicable
  
Plutonic
  
Other Categories
Coarse Grained Rock, Medium Grained Rock, Opaque Rock
  
Coarse Grained Rock, Opaque Rock
  
Texture
Granoblastic
  
Phaneritic
  
Color
Black, Brown
  
Dark Greenish - Grey
  
Maintenance
Less
  
Less
  
Durability
Durable
  
Durable
  
Water Resistant
Yes
  
Yes
  
Scratch Resistant
Yes
  
Yes
  
Stain Resistant
Yes
  
No
  
Wind Resistant
No
  
No
  
Acid Resistant
No
  
No
  
Appearance
Veined or Pebbled
  
Rough and Shiny
  
Architecture
  
  
Interior Uses
Bathrooms, Countertops, Decorative Aggregates, Entryways, Flooring, Homes, Hotels, Interior Decoration, Kitchens, Stair Treads
  
Decorative Aggregates, Interior Decoration
  
Exterior Uses
As Building Stone, As Facing Stone, Garden Decoration, Office Buildings, Paving Stone
  
As Building Stone, As Facing Stone, Garden Decoration
  
Other Architectural Uses
Curbing
  
Curbing
  
Industry
  
  
Construction Industry
As Dimension Stone, Building houses or walls
  
As Dimension Stone, Cobblestones
  
Medical Industry
Not Yet Used
  
Not Yet Used
  
Antiquity Uses
Artifacts, Monuments, Sculpture
  
Monuments, Sculpture, Small Figurines
  
Other Uses
  
  
Commercial Uses
Curling, Gemstone, Laboratory bench tops, Soil Conditioner, Tombstones
  
Creating Artwork, Gemstone, Jewelry, Source of Chromite, Platinum, Nickel and Garnet, Source of Diamonds
  
Types
Not Available
  
Dunite, Wehrlite, Harzburgite, Lherzolite and Pyrolite
  
Features
Clasts are smooth to touch
  
Constitutes upper part of the Earth's mantle, Generally rough to touch, Host rock for Diamond, Is one of the oldest rock
  
Archaeological Significance
  
  
Monuments
Used
  
Used
  
Famous Monuments
Data Not Available
  
Data Not Available
  
Sculpture
Used
  
Used
  
Famous Sculptures
Data Not Available
  
Data Not Available
  
Pictographs
Not Used
  
Used
  
Petroglyphs
Not Used
  
Used
  
Figurines
Used
  
Used
  
Fossils
Absent
  
Absent
  
Formation
Granulite is a fine-grained granular metamorphic rock in which the main component minerals are feldspars and quartz and forms at high temperature and pressure conditions.
  
Peridotites can be formed in two ways: as mantle rocks formed during the accretion and differentiation of the Earth or as cumulate rocks formed by precipitation of olivine and pyroxenes from basaltic magmas.
  
Composition
  
  
Mineral Content
Amphibole, Biotite, Feldspar, Hornblade, Micas, Muscovite or Illite, Plagioclase, Quartz
  
Amphibole, Chromite, Garnet, Magnesium, Olivine, Phlogopite, Plagioclase, Pyroxene
  
Compound Content
Aluminium Oxide, CaO, Carbon Dioxide, Iron(III) Oxide, FeO, Potassium Oxide, MgO, MnO, Sodium Oxide, Phosphorus Pentoxide, Sulfur Dioxide, Titanium Dioxide
  
Ca, Fe, Mg, Potassium, Silicon Dioxide, Sodium, Titanium Dioxide
  
Transformation
  
  
Metamorphism
No
  
Yes
  
Types of Metamorphism
Not Applicable
  
Burial Metamorphism, Cataclastic Metamorphism, Contact Metamorphism, Hydrothermal Metamorphism, Impact Metamorphism, Regional Metamorphism
  
Weathering
Yes
  
Yes
  
Types of Weathering
Biological Weathering, Chemical Weathering
  
Biological Weathering, Chemical Weathering, Mechanical Weathering
  
Erosion
Yes
  
Yes
  
Types of Erosion
Chemical Erosion, Water Erosion, Wind Erosion
  
Chemical Erosion
  
Physical Properties
  
  
Hardness
6-7
  
5.5-6
  
Grain Size
Medium to Coarse Grained
  
Coarse Grained
  
Fracture
Not Available
  
Irregular
  
Streak
White
  
White
  
Porosity
Very Less Porous
  
Less Porous
  
Luster
Vitreous
  
Shiny
  
Compressive Strength
175.00 N/mm2
  
13
107.55 N/mm2
  
19
Cleavage
Imperfect
  
Imperfect
  
Toughness
Not Available
  
2.1
  
Specific Gravity
2.8-3.0
  
3-3.01
  
Transparency
Opaque
  
Translucent to Opaque
  
Density
3.06-3.33 g/cm3
  
3.1-3.4 g/cm3
  
Thermal Properties
  
  
Specific Heat Capacity
0.14 kJ/Kg K
  
26
1.26 kJ/Kg K
  
5
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
  
China, India, Indonesia, Kazakhstan, Russia, South Korea, Thailand, Turkey
  
Africa
Angola, Egypt, Madagascar, Nigeria, South Africa
  
Morocco, South Africa
  
Europe
Austria, Belgium, Finland, France, Germany, Italy, Norway, Sardinia, Spain, Switzerland, The Czech Republic, Venezuela
  
Finland, France, Georgia, Germany, Great Britain, Italy, Kazakhstan, Netherlands, Norway, Spain, Switzerland, Venezuela
  
Others
Not Yet Found
  
Not Yet Found
  
Deposits in Western Continents
  
  
North America
Canada, USA
  
Canada, USA
  
South America
Not Yet Found
  
Brazil
  
Deposits in Oceania Continent
  
  
Australia
Not Yet Found
  
New Zealand, Western Australia
  
Granulite vs Peridotite 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. Granulite vs Peridotite characteristics assist us to distinguish and recognize rocks. Also you can check about Properties of Granulite and Properties of Peridotite. Learn more about Granulite vs Peridotite in the next section. The interior uses of Granulite include Bathrooms, Countertops, Decorative aggregates, Entryways, Flooring, Homes, Hotels, Interior decoration, Kitchens and Stair treads whereas the interior uses of Peridotite include Decorative aggregates and Interior decoration. Due to some exceptional properties of Granulite and Peridotite, they have various applications in construction industry. The uses of Granulite in construction industry include As dimension stone, Building houses or walls and that of Peridotite include As dimension stone, Cobblestones.
More about Granulite and Peridotite
Here you can know more about Granulite and Peridotite. The life cycle of a rock consists of formation of rock, composition of rock and transformation of rock. The composition of Granulite and Peridotite consists of mineral content and compound content. The mineral content of Granulite includes Amphibole, Biotite, Feldspar, Hornblade, Micas, Muscovite or Illite, Plagioclase, Quartz and mineral content of Peridotite includes Amphibole, Chromite, Garnet, Magnesium, Olivine, Phlogopite, Plagioclase, Pyroxene. You can also check out the list of all Metamorphic Rocks. When we have to compare Granulite vs Peridotite, the texture, color and appearance plays an important role in determining the type of rock. Granulite is available in black, brown colors whereas, Peridotite is available in dark greenish - grey colors. Appearance of Granulite is Veined or Pebbled and that of Peridotite is Rough and Shiny. Properties of rock is another aspect for Granulite vs Peridotite. The hardness of Granulite is 6-7 and that of Peridotite is 5.5-6. The types of Granulite are Not Available whereas types of Peridotite are Dunite, Wehrlite, Harzburgite, Lherzolite and Pyrolite. Streak of rock is the color of powder produced when it is dragged across an unweathered surface. The streak of Granulite and Peridotite is white. The specific heat capacity of Granulite is 0.14 kJ/Kg K and that of Peridotite is 1.26 kJ/Kg K. Depending on the properties like hardness, toughness, specific heat capacity, porosity etc., rocks are resistant to heat, wear, impact, etc.Granulite is heat resistant, wear resistant whereas Peridotite is heat resistant, pressure resistant, wear resistant.