Larvikite

Porphyry

Larvikite and Porphyry

Larvikite

Porphyry

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Definition

Larvikite is an igneous rock and a variety of monzonite, notable for the presence of thumbnail-sized crystals of feldspar

Porphyry is a reddish-brown to purple igneous rock containing large phenocrysts of various minerals embedded in a fine-grained matrix

History

Origin

Larvik, Norway

Egypt

Discoverer

Unknown

Etymology

From the town of Larvik in Norway, where this type of igneous rock is found

From Old French porfire, from Italian porfiro and in some cases directly from Latin porphyrites

Class

Igneous Rocks

Sub-Class

Durable Rock, Hard Rock

Family

Group

Plutonic

Other Categories

Coarse Grained Rock, Fine Grained Rock, Medium Grained Rock, Opaque Rock

Fine Grained Rock, Opaque Rock

Texture

Phaneritic

Porphyritic

Color

Black, Brown, Light to Dark Grey, White

Black, Brown, Green, Grey, Red, Rust, White

Maintenance

Less

Durability

Durable

Water Resistant

✔ ✘

Scratch Resistant

✔ ✘

Stain Resistant

✔ ✘

Wind Resistant

✔ ✘

Acid Resistant

✔ ✘

Appearance

Shiny

Dull

Uses

Architecture

Interior Uses

Decorative Aggregates, Homes, Interior Decoration

Decorative Aggregates, Interior Decoration

Exterior Uses

As Building Stone, As Facing Stone, Garden Decoration, Office Buildings, Paving Stone

Garden Decoration, Paving Stone

Other Architectural Uses

Curbing

Industry

Construction Industry

As Dimension Stone, Cement Manufacture, Construction Aggregate, for Road Aggregate

Construction Aggregate

Medical Industry

Antiquity Uses

Artifacts, Monuments, Sculpture

Other Uses

Commercial Uses

Cemetery Markers, Commemorative Tablets, Creating Artwork

Creating Artwork, Gemstone, Jewelry

Types

Quartz Monzonite, Syenite and Diorite

Rhomb Porphyry

Features

Available in lots of colors, Is one of the oldest rock

Generally rough to touch, Is one of the oldest rock, Surfaces are often shiny

Archaeological Significance

Monuments

Famous Monuments

Sculpture

Famous Sculptures

Pictographs

Petroglyphs

Figurines

Fossils

Absent

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.

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.

Composition

Mineral Content

Albite, Amphibole, Apatite, Biotite, Feldspar, Hornblade, Ilmenite, Magnetite, Muscovite or Illite, Olivine, Plagioclase, Pyroxene, Quartz, Sulfides, Titanite, Zircon

Biotite, Chert, Feldspar, Garnet, Graphite, Quartz, Silica

Compound Content

Aluminium Oxide, CaO, Iron(III) Oxide, FeO, Potassium Oxide, MgO, MnO, Sodium Oxide, Phosphorus Pentoxide, Silicon Dioxide, Titanium Dioxide

Aluminium Oxide, CaO, Iron(III) Oxide, Potassium Oxide, MgO, Sodium Oxide, Silicon Dioxide, Titanium Dioxide

Transformation

Metamorphism

✔ ✘

Types of Metamorphism

Cataclastic Metamorphism, Impact Metamorphism, Regional Metamorphism

Burial Metamorphism, Cataclastic Metamorphism, Contact Metamorphism, Hydrothermal Metamorphism, Impact Metamorphism, Regional Metamorphism

Weathering

✔ ✘

Types of Weathering

Biological Weathering, Chemical Weathering, Mechanical Weathering

Biological Weathering, Chemical Weathering

Erosion

✔ ✘

Types of Erosion

Chemical Erosion

Chemical Erosion, Coastal Erosion, Glacier Erosion

Properties

Physical Properties

Hardness

6-76-7

1 7

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Grain Size

Medium to Fine Coarse Grained

Fine Grained

Fracture

Irregular

Streak

White

Porosity

Less Porous

Luster

Subvitreous to Dull

Dull

Compressive Strength

310.00 N/mm²150.00 N/mm²

0.15 450

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Cleavage

Toughness

1.7

Specific Gravity

2.8-32.5-4

0 8.4

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Transparency

Opaque

Translucent to Opaque

Density

2.9-2.91 g/cm³2.5-2.52 g/cm³

0 1400

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Thermal Properties

Specific Heat Capacity

0.92 kJ/Kg K0.71 kJ/Kg K

0.14 3.2

👆🏻

Resistance

Heat Resistant, Impact Resistant, Pressure Resistant

Heat Resistant, Impact Resistant

Reserves

Deposits in Eastern Continents

Asia

China, Kazakhstan, South Korea, Thailand, Turkey, Vietnam

Africa

Egypt, Ethiopia, Ghana, South Africa

Europe

Bulgaria, England, Germany, Norway, Romania, Switzerland

Finland, France, Germany, Great Britain, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Netherlands, Norway, Romania, Sweden, Switzerland

Others

Greenland

Deposits in Western Continents

North America

USA

Canada, Cuba, Jamaica, USA

South America

Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru

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 Larvikite and Porphyry Properties

Know all about Larvikite and Porphyry properties here. All properties of rocks are important as they define the type of rock and its application. Larvikite and Porphyry belong to Igneous Rocks.Texture of Larvikite is Phaneritic whereas that of Porphyry is Porphyritic. Larvikite appears Shiny and Porphyry appears Dull. The luster of Larvikite is subvitreous to dull while that of Porphyry is dull. Larvikite is available in black, brown, light to dark grey, white colors whereas Porphyry is available in black, brown, green, grey, red, rust, white colors. The commercial uses of Larvikite are cemetery markers, commemorative tablets, creating artwork and that of Porphyry are creating artwork, gemstone, jewelry.