Definition
Icelandite belongs to volcanic igneous rocks which is rich in iron and belongs to andesite rock
  
A ganister is a hard, fine-grained quartzose sandstone or orthoquartzite which is basically used in the manufacture of silica brick typically used to line furnaces and is a type of sedimentary rocks.
  
History
  
  
Origin
Iceland
  
England
  
Discoverer
Ian S. E. Carmichael
  
Unknown
  
Etymology
From its origin place near Cenozoic volcano near the parsonage Þingmúli in East Iceland
  
From gan′is-ter i.e a hard, close-grained siliceous stone, often forming the stratum which underlies a coal-seam
  
Class
Igneous Rocks
  
Sedimentary Rocks
  
Sub-Class
Durable Rock, Hard Rock
  
Durable Rock, Hard Rock
  
Family
  
  
Group
Volcanic
  
Not Applicable
  
Other Categories
Fine Grained Rock, Opaque Rock
  
Coarse Grained Rock, Fine Grained Rock, Opaque Rock
  
Texture
Aphanitic to Porphyritic
  
Clastic, Granular, Rough
  
Color
Bluish - Grey, Grey, Pink, Yellow
  
Beige, Black, Brown, Colourless, Cream, Dark Brown, Green, Grey, Light Green, Light to Dark Grey, Pink, Red, White, Yellow
  
Maintenance
More
  
Less
  
Durability
Durable
  
Durable
  
Water Resistant
Yes
  
Yes
  
Scratch Resistant
Yes
  
Yes
  
Stain Resistant
No
  
Yes
  
Wind Resistant
Yes
  
Yes
  
Acid Resistant
No
  
No
  
Appearance
Dull and Soft
  
Rough
  
Architecture
  
  
Interior Uses
Decorative Aggregates, Floor Tiles, Homes, Interior Decoration, Kitchens
  
Decorative Aggregates, Entryways, Flooring, Homes, Interior Decoration
  
Exterior Uses
Office Buildings, Roof Tiles
  
As Building Stone, Garden Decoration, Office Buildings, Paving Stone
  
Other Architectural Uses
Curbing
  
Curbing
  
Industry
  
  
Construction Industry
Cobblestones, Construction Aggregate, for Road Aggregate
  
Cement Manufacture, Construction Aggregate, for Road Aggregate, Production of Glass and Ceramics, Raw material for the manufacture of mortar
  
Medical Industry
Not Yet Used
  
Not Yet Used
  
Antiquity Uses
Artifacts, Jewellery, Sculpture, Small Figurines
  
Artifacts, Monuments, Sculpture, Small Figurines
  
Other Uses
  
  
Commercial Uses
Cemetery Markers, Creating Artwork
  
An Oil and Gas Reservoir, In aquifers, Petroleum reservoirs, Soil Conditioner, Source of Magnesia (MgO), Tombstones
  
Types
Not Available
  
Not Available
  
Features
Generally rough to touch, High silica content, Is one of the oldest rock
  
Available in Lots of Colors and Patterns, Generally rough to touch, Very fine grained rock
  
Archaeological Significance
  
  
Monuments
Not Yet Used
  
Used
  
Famous Monuments
Not Applicable
  
Data Not Available
  
Sculpture
Used
  
Used
  
Famous Sculptures
Data Not Available
  
Data Not Available
  
Pictographs
Not Used
  
Not Used
  
Petroglyphs
Not Used
  
Not Used
  
Figurines
Used
  
Used
  
Fossils
Absent
  
Present
  
Formation
Icelandite 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.
  
Ganisters are formed by the destruction of easily weathered minerals mainly feldspar, within the surface horizon of soil by soil-forming processes.
  
Composition
  
  
Mineral Content
Amphibole, Apatite, Biotite, Feldspar, Garnet, Hornblade, Ilmenite, Magnetite, Plagioclase, Pyroxene, Quartz, Zircon
  
Calcite, Clay, Clay Minerals, Feldspar, Micas, Quartz
  
Compound Content
Silicon Dioxide
  
Aluminium Oxide, CaO, Iron(III) Oxide, Potassium Oxide, MgO, Sodium Oxide, Silicon Dioxide
  
Transformation
  
  
Metamorphism
Yes
  
No
  
Types of Metamorphism
Burial Metamorphism, Cataclastic Metamorphism, Contact Metamorphism, Hydrothermal Metamorphism, Impact Metamorphism, Regional Metamorphism
  
Not Applicable
  
Weathering
Yes
  
Yes
  
Types of Weathering
Biological Weathering
  
Biological Weathering
  
Erosion
Yes
  
Yes
  
Types of Erosion
Chemical Erosion, Coastal Erosion, Sea Erosion, Water Erosion, Wind Erosion
  
Water Erosion, Wind Erosion
  
Physical Properties
  
  
Hardness
7
  
6-7
  
Grain Size
Very fine-grained
  
Coarse or Fine
  
Fracture
Uneven
  
Splintery
  
Streak
White
  
White
  
Porosity
Less Porous
  
Highly Porous
  
Luster
Vitreous
  
Dull
  
Compressive Strength
Not Available
  
95.00 N/mm
2
  
20
Cleavage
Not Available
  
Perfect
  
Toughness
1.1
  
2.6
  
Specific Gravity
2.5-2.8
  
2.2-2.8
  
Transparency
Opaque
  
Opaque
  
Density
2.11-2.36 g/cm3
  
2.2-2.8 g/cm3
  
Thermal Properties
  
  
Specific Heat Capacity
2.39 kJ/Kg K
  
2
0.92 kJ/Kg K
  
10
Resistance
Heat Resistant, Pressure Resistant, Scratch Resistant, Wear Resistant
  
Heat Resistant, Impact Resistant, Pressure Resistant
  
Deposits in Eastern Continents
  
  
Asia
India, Indonesia, Japan, Nepal, South Korea
  
China, India, Kazakhstan, Mongolia, Russia, Uzbekistan
  
Africa
Egypt, Ethiopia, Morocco, Namibia, South Africa, Tanzania
  
Namibia, Nigeria, South Africa
  
Europe
Austria, Finland, Germany, Italy, Romania, Turkey, United Kingdom
  
Austria, Denmark, Germany, Great Britain, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Sweden, Switzerland, United Kingdom
  
Others
Not Yet Found
  
Greenland
  
Deposits in Western Continents
  
  
North America
Mexico, USA
  
Canada, USA
  
South America
Argentina, Bolivia, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, Venezuela
  
Brazil
  
Deposits in Oceania Continent
  
  
Australia
New South Wales, New Zealand, Western Australia
  
New South Wales, New Zealand
  
All about Icelandite and Ganister Properties
Know all about Icelandite and Ganister properties here. All properties of rocks are important as they define the type of rock and its application. Icelandite belongs to Igneous Rocks while Ganister belongs to Sedimentary Rocks.Texture of Icelandite is Aphanitic to Porphyritic whereas that of Ganister is Clastic, Granular, Rough. Icelandite appears Dull and Soft and Ganister appears Rough. The luster of Icelandite is vitreous while that of Ganister is dull. Icelandite is available in bluish - grey, grey, pink, yellow colors whereas Ganister is available in beige, black, brown, colourless, cream, dark brown, green, grey, light green, light to dark grey, pink, red, white, yellow colors. The commercial uses of Icelandite are cemetery markers, creating artwork and that of Ganister are an oil and gas reservoir, in aquifers, petroleum reservoirs, soil conditioner, source of magnesia (mgo), tombstones.