Definition
Gritstone or grit is a hard, coarse-grained, siliceous sandstone
Appinite is an igneous rock in which the crystals are so fine grained that individual minerals cannot be easily distinguished
Origin
Pennines, England
Unknown
Discoverer
J.J. Ferber
Unknown
Etymology
From Grit + Stone
From the variety of Lamprophyre Greek lampros bright and shining + porphureos purple
Class
Sedimentary Rocks
Igneous Rocks
Sub-Class
Durable Rock, Hard Rock
Durable Rock, Medium Hardness Rock
Group
Not Applicable
Plutonic
Other Categories
Coarse Grained Rock, Opaque Rock
Coarse Grained Rock, Fine Grained Rock, Opaque Rock
Texture
Earthy
Porphyritic
Color
Beige, Black, Brown, Colourless, Cream, Dark Brown, Green, Grey, Light Green, Light to Dark Grey, Pink, Red, White, Yellow
Black, Bluish - Grey, Brown, Dark Greenish - Grey, Green, Grey
Durability
Durable
Durable
Scratch Resistant
Yes
Yes
Appearance
Layered and Foliated
Dull, Banded and Foilated
Interior Uses
Countertops, Decorative Aggregates, Homes, Interior Decoration
Decorative Aggregates, Homes, Interior Decoration
Exterior Uses
As Building Stone, Garden Decoration, Office Buildings, Paving Stone
Paving Stone, Garden Decoration, Office Buildings
Other Architectural Uses
Curbing
Whetstones
Construction Industry
Construction Aggregate, Roadstone
As Dimension Stone, Cement Manufacture, for Road Aggregate, Making natural cement, Manufacture of Magnesium and Dolomite Refractories
Medical Industry
Not Yet Used
Taken as a Supplement for Calcium or Magnesium
Antiquity Uses
Artifacts, Monuments, Sculpture
Artifacts, Monuments, Sculpture, Small Figurines
Commercial Uses
An Oil and Gas Reservoir, As a Feed Additive for Livestock, Gemstone, Metallurgical Flux, Production of Lime, Soil Conditioner, Source of Magnesia (MgO), Tombstones
An Oil and Gas Reservoir, As a Feed Additive for Livestock, Gemstone, Metallurgical Flux, Production of Lime, Soil Conditioner
Types
Not Available
Not Available
Features
Available in Lots of Colors and Patterns, Generally rough to touch, Very fine grained 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
Famous Monuments
Data Not Available
Data Not Available
Famous Sculptures
Data Not Available
Data Not Available
Pictographs
Not Used
Used
Petroglyphs
Not Used
Used
Formation
Gritstone is a type of sedimentary rock which was formed on the floors of wide river deltas where the grit deposits were laid down, with every tide or flood dumping another layer of sediment.
The formation of Appinite takes place deep beneath the Earth’s surface at around 150 to 450 kms, and are erupted rapidly and violently.
Mineral Content
Calcite, Clay Minerals, Feldspar, Micas, Quartz
Amphibole, Carbonate, Garnet, Micas, Olivine, Phlogopite, Pyroxene
Compound Content
Aluminium Oxide, CaO, Iron(III) Oxide, Potassium Oxide, MgO, Sodium Oxide, Silicon Dioxide
Aluminium Oxide, NaCl, CaO, Iron(III) Oxide, FeO, Potassium Oxide, MgO, MnO, Sodium Oxide, Silicon Dioxide, Titanium Dioxide
Types of Metamorphism
Not Applicable
Burial Metamorphism, Cataclastic Metamorphism, Contact Metamorphism, Hydrothermal Metamorphism, Regional Metamorphism
Types of Weathering
Biological Weathering, Chemical Weathering, Mechanical Weathering
Chemical Weathering, Mechanical Weathering
Types of Erosion
Chemical Erosion, Coastal Erosion
Chemical Erosion, Water Erosion, Wind Erosion
Grain Size
Coarse Grained
Fine to Coarse Grained
Fracture
Conchoidal
Conchoidal
Porosity
Highly Porous
Very Less Porous
Luster
Dull
Subvitreous to Dull
Compressive Strength
Not Available
Cleavage
Perfect
Conchoidal
Toughness
Not Available
Not Available
Specific Gravity
2.250
2.86-2.87
Transparency
Opaque
Translucent to Opaque
Density
2.2 g/cm3
2.95-2.96 g/cm3
Specific Heat Capacity
Not Available
Resistance
Heat Resistant, Impact Resistant, Pressure Resistant
Heat Resistant, Impact Resistant
Deposits in Eastern Continents
Asia
China, India, Kazakhstan, Mongolia, Russia, Uzbekistan
Russia
Africa
Namibia, Nigeria, South Africa
Angola, Botswana, Cameroon, Ethiopia, South Africa
Europe
Austria, Denmark, Germany, Great Britain, Netherlands, Poland, Sweden, Switzerland, United Kingdom
England, Hungary, Iceland, United Kingdom
Others
Greenland
Antarctica, Greenland
Deposits in Western Continents
North America
Canada, USA
Canada, Mexico, USA
South America
Brazil
Argentina, Colombia, Ecuador
Deposits in Oceania Continent
Australia
New South Wales, New Zealand, Western Australia
New South Wales, New Zealand, Queensland, South Australia, Western Australia
All about Gritstone and Appinite Properties
Know all about Gritstone and Appinite properties here. All properties of rocks are important as they define the type of rock and its application. Gritstone belongs to Sedimentary Rocks while Appinite belongs to Igneous Rocks.Texture of Gritstone is Earthy whereas that of Appinite is Porphyritic. Gritstone appears Layered and Foliated and Appinite appears Dull, Banded and Foilated. The luster of Gritstone is dull while that of Appinite is subvitreous to dull. Gritstone is available in beige, black, brown, colourless, cream, dark brown, green, grey, light green, light to dark grey, pink, red, white, yellow colors whereas Appinite is available in black, bluish - grey, brown, dark greenish - grey, green, grey colors. The commercial uses of Gritstone and Appinite are an oil and gas reservoir, as a feed additive for livestock, gemstone, metallurgical flux, production of lime, soil conditioner, source of magnesia (mgo), tombstones.