Definition
Harzburgite is a plutonic rock of the peridotite group consisting largely of orthopyroxene and olivine
Pegmatite rock is a holocrystalline, intrusive igneous rock which is composed of interlocking phaneritic crystals
Discoverer
Unknown
R. J. Hauy
Etymology
From the name of a town in Harzburg, Germany
From Greek pegma, pegmat which means- thing joined together + -ite
Class
Igneous Rocks
Igneous Rocks
Sub-Class
Durable Rock, Medium Hardness Rock
Durable Rock, Hard Rock
Other Categories
Coarse Grained Rock, Opaque Rock
Coarse Grained Rock, Opaque Rock
Texture
Phaneritic
Pegmatitic
Color
Dark Greenish - Grey
Black, Brown, Cream, Green, Grey, Pink, Red, Rust, Silver, White, Yellow
Durability
Durable
Durable
Scratch Resistant
Yes
Yes
Appearance
Rough and Shiny
Layered, Banded, Veined and Shiny
Interior Uses
Decorative Aggregates, Homes, Interior Decoration
Decorative Aggregates, Flooring, Interior Decoration
Exterior Uses
As Building Stone, As Facing Stone, Garden Decoration, Office Buildings, Paving Stone
As Building Stone, As Facing Stone, Paving Stone
Other Architectural Uses
Curbing
Curbing
Construction Industry
As Dimension Stone, Cobblestones
As Dimension Stone, Building houses or walls, Construction Aggregate, for Road Aggregate, Landscaping
Medical Industry
Not Yet Used
Not Yet Used
Antiquity Uses
Artifacts, Monuments, Sculpture, Small Figurines
Artifacts, Sculpture, Small Figurines
Commercial Uses
Creating Artwork, Gemstone, Jewelry, Source of Chromite, Platinum, Nickel and Garnet, Source of Diamonds
Creating Artwork, Jewelry, Source of corundum, tourmalines, beryls and topaz
Types
Not Available
Granite Pegmatite, Gabbro Pegmatite and Diorite Pegmatite
Features
Constitutes upper part of the Earth's mantle, Generally rough to touch, Is one of the oldest rock
Generally rough to touch, Is one of the oldest rock, Source of corundum, tourmalines, beryls and topaz
Archaeological Significance
Monuments
Used
Not Yet Used
Famous Monuments
Data Not Available
Not Applicable
Famous Sculptures
Data Not Available
Data Not Available
Pictographs
Used
Not Used
Petroglyphs
Used
Not Used
Formation
Harzburgite 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.
Pegmatite rock is holocrystalline, intrusive igneous rock which is formed by partial melting and dewatering during the process of metamorphism.
Mineral Content
Amphibole, Chromite, Garnet, Magnesium, Olivine, Phlogopite, Plagioclase, Pyroxene
Apatite, Beryl, Feldspar, Fluorite, Garnet, Lepidolite, Quartz, Silica, Spodumene, Topaz
Compound Content
Ca, Fe, Mg, Potassium, Silicon Dioxide, Sodium, Titanium Dioxide
Aluminium Oxide, CaO, Iron(III) Oxide, FeO, Potassium Oxide, Magnesium Carbonate, MgO, Phosphorus Pentoxide
Types of Metamorphism
Impact Metamorphism
Burial Metamorphism, Cataclastic Metamorphism, Contact Metamorphism, Hydrothermal Metamorphism, Impact Metamorphism, Regional Metamorphism
Types of Weathering
Chemical Weathering, Mechanical Weathering
Biological Weathering, Chemical Weathering, Mechanical Weathering
Types of Erosion
Chemical Erosion, Sea Erosion
Chemical Erosion, Coastal Erosion, Glacier Erosion, Sea Erosion, Water Erosion, Wind Erosion
Grain Size
Coarse Grained
Medium to Coarse Grained
Fracture
Irregular
Conchoidal
Porosity
Less Porous
Less Porous
Luster
Shiny
Grainy, Pearly and Vitreous
Compressive Strength
Not Available
Cleavage
Imperfect
Perfect
Specific Gravity
3-3.01
2.6-2.63
Transparency
Translucent to Opaque
Translucent to Opaque
Density
3.1-3.4 g/cm3
2.6-2.65 g/cm3
Specific Heat Capacity
Not Available
Resistance
Heat Resistant, Pressure Resistant, Wear Resistant
Heat Resistant, Impact Resistant, Pressure Resistant
Deposits in Eastern Continents
Asia
Japan, Oman
China, India, Iran, Japan, Nepal, North Korea, Russia, Saudi Arabia, South Korea
Africa
South Africa
South Africa
Europe
France, Germany, Italy, Venezuela
Austria, France, Greece, Ireland, Italy, Netherlands, Slovakia, Spain, Turkey, Ukraine
Others
Hawaii Islands, Mid-Atlantic Ridge
Not Yet Found
Deposits in Western Continents
North America
Canada, USA
Canada
South America
Not Yet Found
Brazil
Deposits in Oceania Continent
Australia
Not Yet Found
New South Wales, Queensland, South Australia, Western Australia
Harzburgite vs Pegmatite 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. Harzburgite vs Pegmatite characteristics assist us to distinguish and recognize rocks. Also you can check about Properties of Harzburgite and Properties of Pegmatite. Learn more about Harzburgite vs Pegmatite in the next section. The interior uses of Harzburgite include Decorative aggregates, Homes and Interior decoration whereas the interior uses of Pegmatite include Decorative aggregates, Flooring and Interior decoration. Due to some exceptional properties of Harzburgite and Pegmatite, they have various applications in construction industry. The uses of Harzburgite in construction industry include As dimension stone, Cobblestones and that of Pegmatite include As dimension stone, Building houses or walls, Construction aggregate, For road aggregate, Landscaping.
More about Harzburgite and Pegmatite
Here you can know more about Harzburgite and Pegmatite. The life cycle of a rock consists of formation of rock, composition of rock and transformation of rock. The composition of Harzburgite and Pegmatite consists of mineral content and compound content. The mineral content of Harzburgite includes Amphibole, Chromite, Garnet, Magnesium, Olivine, Phlogopite, Plagioclase, Pyroxene and mineral content of Pegmatite includes Apatite, Beryl, Feldspar, Fluorite, Garnet, Lepidolite, Quartz, Silica, Spodumene, Topaz. You can also check out the list of all Igneous Rocks. When we have to compare Harzburgite vs Pegmatite, the texture, color and appearance plays an important role in determining the type of rock. Harzburgite is available in dark greenish - grey colors whereas, Pegmatite is available in black, brown, cream, green, grey, pink, red, rust, silver, white, yellow colors. Appearance of Harzburgite is Rough and Shiny and that of Pegmatite is Layered, Banded, Veined and Shiny. Properties of rock is another aspect for Harzburgite vs Pegmatite. The hardness of Harzburgite is 5.5-6 and that of Pegmatite is 7. The types of Harzburgite are Not Available whereas types of Pegmatite are Granite Pegmatite, Gabbro Pegmatite and Diorite Pegmatite. Streak of rock is the color of powder produced when it is dragged across an unweathered surface. The streak of Harzburgite and Pegmatite is white. The specific heat capacity of Harzburgite is 1.25 kJ/Kg K and that of Pegmatite is Not Available. Depending on the properties like hardness, toughness, specific heat capacity, porosity etc., rocks are resistant to heat, wear, impact, etc.Harzburgite is heat resistant, pressure resistant, wear resistant whereas Pegmatite is heat resistant, impact resistant, pressure resistant.