Definition
Kimberlite is a rare, blue-tinged, coarse-grained intrusive igneous rock, which sometimes contains diamonds and is mostly found in South Africa and Siberia.
Comendite is a hard, peralkaline igneous rock, a type of light blue grey rhyolite
Origin
Kimberley, South Africa
Italy
Discoverer
John W. Judd
Unknown
Etymology
From Kimberley + -ite, from the name of the South African town of Kimberley where the rock was first found.
Comendite derives its name from the area of Le Commende on San Pietro Island in Italy
Class
Igneous Rocks
Igneous Rocks
Sub-Class
Durable Rock, Hard Rock
Durable Rock, Hard Rock
Other Categories
Coarse Grained Rock, Fine Grained Rock, Opaque Rock
Medium Grained Rock, Opaque Rock
Texture
Porphyritic
Porphyritic
Color
Black, Bluish - Grey, Brown, Dark Greenish - Grey, Green, Grey
Blue, Bluish - Grey
Durability
Durable
Durable
Scratch Resistant
Yes
Yes
Appearance
Dull and Banded
Foliated
Interior Uses
Countertops, Decorative Aggregates, Homes, Interior Decoration
Countertops, Decorative Aggregates, Interior Decoration
Exterior Uses
As Building Stone, Paving Stone, Garden Decoration
As Building Stone, As Facing Stone, Garden Decoration
Other Architectural Uses
Curbing
Curbing
Construction Industry
As a Flux in the Production of Steel and Pig Iron, As a Sintering Agent in Steel Industry to process Iron Ore, As Dimension Stone, Cement Manufacture, for Road Aggregate, Making natural cement, Manufacture of Magnesium and Dolomite Refractories
Building houses or walls, Cement Manufacture, Construction Aggregate, for Road Aggregate, Landscaping, Making natural cement, Raw material for the manufacture of mortar
Medical Industry
Taken as a Supplement for Calcium or Magnesium
-
Antiquity Uses
Artifacts, Monuments, Sculpture, Small Figurines
Artifacts
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)
Cemetery Markers
Types
Basaltic Kimberlites and Micaceous Kimberlites
Rhyolite
Features
Always found as volcanic pipes over deep continental crust, Host rock for Diamond, Is one of the oldest rock, Surfaces are often shiny
Very fine grained rock, It is One of the Oldest, Strongest and Hardest Rock
Archaeological Significance
Formation
Kimberlite is an igneous rock and is the main source of diamonds. Its formation takes place deep beneath the Earth’s surface between 150 to 450 kilometres, and are erupted rapidly and violently.
Comendite is a type of Igneous rock which is formed due to cooling and solidification of lava or magma. It may form with or without crystallization, either below the surface as intrusive rocks or on the surface as extrusive rocks.
Mineral Content
Garnet, Olivine, Phlogopite, Pyroxene
Albite, Amphibole, Quartz
Compound Content
Aluminium Oxide, NaCl, CaO, Iron(III) Oxide, FeO, Potassium Oxide, MgO, MnO, Sodium Oxide, Silicon Dioxide, Titanium Dioxide
Al, Fe, Potassium Oxide
Types of Metamorphism
Burial Metamorphism, Cataclastic Metamorphism, Contact Metamorphism, Hydrothermal Metamorphism, Impact Metamorphism, Regional Metamorphism
Cataclastic Metamorphism, Regional Metamorphism
Types of Weathering
Biological Weathering, Chemical Weathering, Mechanical Weathering
Biological Weathering, Chemical Weathering, Mechanical Weathering
Types of Erosion
Chemical Erosion, Coastal Erosion, Glacier Erosion, Sea Erosion, Water Erosion, Wind Erosion
Coastal Erosion, Water Erosion
Grain Size
Fine to Coarse Grained
Medium Grained
Fracture
Conchoidal
Pervasive
Streak
White
Bluish Black
Porosity
Very Less Porous
Highly Porous
Luster
Subvitreous to Dull
Dull
Specific Gravity
2.86-2.87
2.38
Transparency
Translucent to Opaque
Opaque
Density
2.95-2.96 g/cm3
-9999 g/cm3
Resistance
Heat Resistant, Impact Resistant
Heat Resistant, Impact Resistant
Deposits in Eastern Continents
Africa
Angola, Botswana, Cameroon, Ethiopia, South Africa
East Africa
Europe
England, Hungary, Iceland, United Kingdom
Italy
Deposits in Western Continents
North America
Canada, USA
-
South America
Argentina, Colombia, Ecuador
-
Deposits in Oceania Continent
Australia
New South Wales, New Zealand, South Australia, Western Australia
Queensland