Definition
Lamprophyre is uncommon igneous rocks primarily occurring as dikes, lopoliths, laccoliths, stocks and small intrusions
Porphyry is a reddish-brown to purple igneous rock containing large phenocrysts of various minerals embedded in a fine-grained matrix
Discoverer
Unknown
Unknown
Etymology
From Greek lampros bright and shining + porphureos purple
From Old French porfire, from Italian porfiro and in some cases directly from Latin porphyrites
Class
Igneous Rocks
Igneous Rocks
Sub-Class
Durable Rock, Medium Hardness Rock
Durable Rock, Hard Rock
Other Categories
Coarse Grained Rock, Fine Grained Rock, Opaque Rock
Fine Grained Rock, Opaque Rock
Texture
Porphyritic
Porphyritic
Color
Black, Bluish - Grey, Brown, Dark Greenish - Grey, Green, Grey
Black, Brown, Green, Grey, Red, Rust, White
Durability
Durable
Durable
Scratch Resistant
Yes
Yes
Appearance
Dull, Banded and Foilated
Dull
Interior Uses
Decorative Aggregates, Interior Decoration
Decorative Aggregates, Interior Decoration
Exterior Uses
As Building Stone, Office Buildings
Garden Decoration, Paving Stone
Other Architectural Uses
Curbing
Curbing
Construction Industry
As Dimension Stone, Cement Manufacture, for Road Aggregate, Making natural cement, Manufacture of Magnesium and Dolomite Refractories
Construction Aggregate
Medical Industry
Taken as a Supplement for Calcium or Magnesium
-
Antiquity Uses
Artifacts, Monuments, Sculpture
Artifacts, Monuments, Sculpture
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)
Creating Artwork, Gemstone, Jewelry
Types
Minette, Alnoite, Camptonite, Monchiquite, Fourchite, Vogesite, Appinite and Spessartite
Rhomb Porphyry
Features
Always found as volcanic pipes over deep continental crust, Host rock for Diamond, Is one of the oldest rock, Surfaces are often shiny
Generally rough to touch, Is one of the oldest rock, Surfaces are often shiny
Archaeological Significance
Formation
Lamprophyre formation takes place deep beneath the Earth’s surface at around 150 to 450 kilometres, and are erupted rapidly and violently.
Porphyry is formed in two stages: the magma cools slowly deep within the crust or the magma is cools rapidly as it erupts from a volcano, creating small grains that are usually invisible to naked eye.
Mineral Content
Amphibole, Carbonate, Garnet, Micas, Olivine, Phlogopite, Pyroxene
Biotite, Chert, Feldspar, Garnet, Graphite, Quartz, Silica
Compound Content
Aluminium Oxide, NaCl, CaO, Iron(III) Oxide, FeO, Potassium Oxide, MgO, MnO, Sodium Oxide, Silicon Dioxide, Titanium Dioxide
Aluminium Oxide, CaO, Iron(III) Oxide, Potassium Oxide, MgO, Sodium Oxide, Silicon Dioxide, Titanium Dioxide
Types of Metamorphism
Cataclastic Metamorphism, Impact Metamorphism
Burial Metamorphism, Cataclastic Metamorphism, Contact Metamorphism, Hydrothermal Metamorphism, Impact Metamorphism, Regional Metamorphism
Types of Weathering
Biological Weathering
Biological Weathering, Chemical Weathering
Types of Erosion
Chemical Erosion, Water Erosion, Wind Erosion
Chemical Erosion, Coastal Erosion, Glacier Erosion
Grain Size
Fine to Coarse Grained
Fine Grained
Fracture
Conchoidal
Irregular
Porosity
Very Less Porous
Less Porous
Luster
Subvitreous to Dull
Dull
Specific Gravity
2.86-2.87
2.5-4
Transparency
Translucent to Opaque
Translucent to Opaque
Density
2.95-2.96 g/cm3
2.5-2.52 g/cm3
Resistance
Heat Resistant, Impact Resistant
Heat Resistant, Impact Resistant
Deposits in Eastern Continents
Asia
Russia
China, Kazakhstan, South Korea, Thailand, Turkey, Vietnam
Africa
Angola, Botswana, Cameroon, Ethiopia, South Africa
Egypt, Ethiopia, Ghana, South Africa
Europe
England, Hungary, Iceland, United Kingdom
Finland, France, Germany, Great Britain, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Netherlands, Norway, Romania, Sweden, Switzerland
Others
Antarctica, Greenland
Greenland
Deposits in Western Continents
North America
Canada, Mexico, USA
Canada, Cuba, Jamaica, USA
South America
Argentina, Colombia, Ecuador
Bolivia, Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador, Paraguay
Deposits in Oceania Continent
Australia
New South Wales, New Zealand, Queensland, South Australia, Western Australia
New South Wales, New Zealand, Western Australia
All about Lamprophyre and Porphyry Properties
Know all about Lamprophyre and Porphyry properties here. All properties of rocks are important as they define the type of rock and its application. Lamprophyre and Porphyry belong to Igneous Rocks.Texture of Lamprophyre is Porphyritic whereas that of Porphyry is Porphyritic. Lamprophyre appears Dull, Banded and Foilated and Porphyry appears Dull. The luster of Lamprophyre is subvitreous to dull while that of Porphyry is dull. Lamprophyre is available in black, bluish - grey, brown, dark greenish - grey, green, grey colors whereas Porphyry is available in black, brown, green, grey, red, rust, white colors. The commercial uses of Lamprophyre are an oil and gas reservoir, as a feed additive for livestock, gemstone, metallurgical flux, production of lime, soil conditioner, source of magnesia (mgo) and that of Porphyry are creating artwork, gemstone, jewelry.