Definition
A yellow sandstone which is flexible when cut into thin strips
Larvikite is an igneous rock and a variety of monzonite, notable for the presence of thumbnail-sized crystals of feldspar
History
Origin
-
Larvik, Norway
Discoverer
Unknown
Unknown
Etymology
From the name of a mountain range where it was found; Itacolumi mountain in Brazil
From the town of Larvik in Norway, where this type of igneous rock is found
Class
Sedimentary Rocks
Igneous Rocks
Sub-Class
Durable Rock, Hard Rock
Durable Rock, Hard Rock
Family
Group
-
Plutonic
Other Categories
Coarse Grained Rock, Fine Grained Rock, Opaque Rock
Coarse Grained Rock, Fine Grained Rock, Medium Grained Rock, Opaque Rock
Texture
Clastic, Granular, Rough
Phaneritic
Color
Beige, Black, Brown, Cream, Dark Brown, Green, Grey, Light Green, Light to Dark Grey, Pink, Red, White, Yellow
Black, Brown, Light to Dark Grey, White
Maintenance
Less
Less
Durability
Durable
Durable
Water Resistant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Scratch Resistant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Stain Resistant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Wind Resistant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Acid Resistant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Appearance
Rough
Shiny
Architecture
Interior Uses
Decorative Aggregates, Floor Tiles, Homes, Interior Decoration, Kitchens
Decorative Aggregates, Homes, Interior Decoration
Exterior Uses
As Building Stone, As Facing Stone, Garden Decoration, Office Buildings
As Building Stone, As Facing Stone, Garden Decoration, Office Buildings, Paving Stone
Other Architectural Uses
Curbing
Curbing
Industry
Construction Industry
Cement Manufacture, Construction Aggregate, for Road Aggregate, Production of Glass and Ceramics, Raw material for the manufacture of mortar
As Dimension Stone, Cement Manufacture, Construction Aggregate, for Road Aggregate
Medical Industry
-
-
Antiquity Uses
Artifacts, Monuments, Sculpture
Artifacts, Monuments, Sculpture
Other Uses
Commercial Uses
An Oil and Gas Reservoir, In aquifers, Petroleum reservoirs, Soil Conditioner, Source of Magnesia (MgO), Tombstones
Cemetery Markers, Commemorative Tablets, Creating Artwork
Types
Sandstone
Quartz Monzonite, Syenite and Diorite
Features
Available in Lots of Colors and Patterns, Generally rough to touch, Very fine grained rock
Available in lots of colors, Is one of the oldest rock
Archaeological Significance
Monuments
-
-
Famous Monuments
-
-
Sculpture
-
-
Famous Sculptures
-
-
Pictographs
-
-
Petroglyphs
-
-
Figurines
-
-
Fossils
Present
Absent
Formation
Itacolumite is a sedimentary rock which forms from cemented sand-sized clasts and is a type of sandstone.
Larvikite 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.
Composition
Mineral Content
Calcite, Clay, Clay Minerals, Feldspar, Micas, Quartz
Albite, Amphibole, Apatite, Biotite, Feldspar, Hornblade, Ilmenite, Magnetite, Muscovite or Illite, Olivine, Plagioclase, Pyroxene, Quartz, Sulfides, Titanite, Zircon
Compound Content
Aluminium Oxide, CaO, Iron(III) Oxide, Potassium Oxide, MgO, Sodium Oxide, Silicon Dioxide
Aluminium Oxide, CaO, Iron(III) Oxide, FeO, Potassium Oxide, MgO, MnO, Sodium Oxide, Phosphorus Pentoxide, Silicon Dioxide, Titanium Dioxide
Transformation
Metamorphism
✔
✘
✔
✘
Types of Metamorphism
-
Cataclastic Metamorphism, Impact Metamorphism, Regional Metamorphism
Weathering
✔
✘
✔
✘
Types of Weathering
Biological Weathering, Chemical Weathering
Biological Weathering, Chemical Weathering, Mechanical Weathering
Erosion
✔
✘
✔
✘
Types of Erosion
Chemical Erosion, Coastal Erosion, Wind Erosion
Chemical Erosion
Physical Properties
Hardness
6-76-7
1
7
👆🏻
Grain Size
Coarse or Fine
Medium to Fine Coarse Grained
Fracture
Conchoidal
-
Streak
White
White
Porosity
Highly Porous
Less Porous
Luster
Dull
Subvitreous to Dull
Compressive Strength
95.00 N/mm2310.00 N/mm2
0.15
450
👆🏻
Cleavage
Perfect
-
Toughness
2.6
-
Specific Gravity
2.2-2.82.8-3
0
8.4
👆🏻
Transparency
Opaque
Opaque
Density
2.2-2.8 g/cm32.9-2.91 g/cm3
0
1400
👆🏻
Thermal Properties
Specific Heat Capacity
0.92 kJ/Kg K0.92 kJ/Kg K
0.14
3.2
👆🏻
Resistance
Heat Resistant, Impact Resistant, Pressure Resistant
Heat Resistant, Impact Resistant, Pressure Resistant
Deposits in Eastern Continents
Asia
China, India, Kazakhstan, Mongolia, Russia, Uzbekistan
-
Africa
Namibia, Nigeria, South Africa
-
Europe
Austria, Denmark, Germany, Great Britain, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Sweden, Switzerland, United Kingdom
Bulgaria, England, Germany, Norway, Romania, Switzerland
Others
Greenland
-
Deposits in Western Continents
North America
Canada, USA
USA
South America
Brazil
Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru
Deposits in Oceania Continent
Australia
New South Wales, New Zealand
New South Wales, New Zealand, Queensland, South Australia, Western Australia