Definition
Larvikite is an igneous rock and a variety of monzonite, notable for the presence of thumbnail-sized crystals of feldspar
Hornfels is a metamorphic rock formed by the contact between mudstone or other clay rich rock, and a hot igneous body, and represents a heat altered equivalent of the original rock
Origin
Larvik, Norway
New Zealand
Discoverer
Unknown
Unknown
Etymology
From the town of Larvik in Norway, where this type of igneous rock is found
From German which means hornstone
Class
Igneous Rocks
Metamorphic Rocks
Sub-Class
Durable Rock, Hard Rock
Durable Rock, Soft Rock
Other Categories
Coarse Grained Rock, Fine Grained Rock, Medium Grained Rock, Opaque Rock
Fine Grained Rock, Opaque Rock
Texture
Phaneritic
Granular, Platy
Color
Black, Brown, Light to Dark Grey, White
Brown, Dark Greenish - Grey, Green, Reddish Brown
Durability
Durable
Durable
Interior Uses
Decorative Aggregates, Homes, Interior Decoration
Decorative Aggregates, Flooring, Homes, Interior Decoration
Exterior Uses
As Building Stone, As Facing Stone, Garden Decoration, Office Buildings, Paving Stone
As Building Stone, As Facing Stone, Garden Decoration, Office Buildings, Paving Stone
Other Architectural Uses
Curbing
Curbing
Construction Industry
As Dimension Stone, Cement Manufacture, Construction Aggregate, for Road Aggregate
for Road Aggregate, Roadstone
Antiquity Uses
Artifacts, Monuments, Sculpture
Artifacts, Monuments
Commercial Uses
Cemetery Markers, Commemorative Tablets, Creating Artwork
Cemetery Markers, Commemorative Tablets, Creating Artwork
Types
Quartz Monzonite, Syenite and Diorite
Biotite hornfels
Features
Available in lots of colors, Is one of the oldest rock
Smooth to touch
Archaeological Significance
Formation
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.
Due to change in environmental conditions, rocks are heated and pressurized deep inside the Earth's surface. Hornfels is formed from the extreme heat caused by magma or by the intense collisions and friction of tectonic plates.
Mineral Content
Albite, Amphibole, Apatite, Biotite, Feldspar, Hornblade, Ilmenite, Magnetite, Muscovite or Illite, Olivine, Plagioclase, Pyroxene, Quartz, Sulfides, Titanite, Zircon
Andalusite
Compound Content
Aluminium Oxide, CaO, Iron(III) Oxide, FeO, Potassium Oxide, MgO, MnO, Sodium Oxide, Phosphorus Pentoxide, Silicon Dioxide, Titanium Dioxide
Fe, Mg
Types of Metamorphism
Cataclastic Metamorphism, Impact Metamorphism, Regional Metamorphism
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Types of Weathering
Biological Weathering, Chemical Weathering, Mechanical Weathering
Biological Weathering
Types of Erosion
Chemical Erosion
Chemical Erosion, Glacier Erosion, Sea Erosion, Water Erosion, Wind Erosion
Grain Size
Medium to Fine Coarse Grained
Fine Grained
Porosity
Less Porous
Highly Porous
Luster
Subvitreous to Dull
Shiny
Specific Gravity
2.8-3
3.4-3.9
Transparency
Opaque
Opaque
Density
2.9-2.91 g/cm3
0.25-0.30 g/cm3
Resistance
Heat Resistant, Impact Resistant, Pressure Resistant
Heat Resistant, Impact Resistant, Pressure Resistant
Deposits in Eastern Continents
Asia
-
Bangladesh, Bhutan, China, India, North Korea, Qatar, Russia, Saudi Arabia, South Korea, Thailand
Africa
-
Cameroon, East Africa, Tanzania, Western Africa
Europe
Bulgaria, England, Germany, Norway, Romania, Switzerland
United Kingdom
Deposits in Western Continents
North America
USA
Canada, USA
South America
Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru
Bolivia, Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador
Deposits in Oceania Continent
Australia
New South Wales, New Zealand, Queensland, South Australia, Western Australia
New South Wales, New Zealand, Queensland, Western Australia