Definition
Larvikite is an igneous rock and a variety of monzonite, notable for the presence of thumbnail-sized crystals of feldspar
Pyroxenite is a dark, greenish, granular intrusive igneous rock consisting mainly of pyroxenes and olivine
Discoverer
Unknown
Unknown
Etymology
From the town of Larvik in Norway, where this type of igneous rock is found
From pyro- fire + Greek xenos stranger as the mineral group was new to igneous rocks
Class
Igneous Rocks
Igneous Rocks
Sub-Class
Durable Rock, Hard Rock
Durable Rock, Hard Rock
Other Categories
Coarse Grained Rock, Fine Grained Rock, Medium Grained Rock, Opaque Rock
Coarse Grained Rock, Opaque Rock
Texture
Phaneritic
Clastic, Granular, Phaneritic, Porphyritic
Color
Black, Brown, Light to Dark Grey, White
Black to Grey, Bluish - Grey, Dark Greenish - Grey, Green, Light Greenish Grey
Durability
Durable
Durable
Scratch Resistant
Yes
Yes
Appearance
Shiny
Layered, Banded, Veined and Shiny
Interior Uses
Decorative Aggregates, Homes, Interior Decoration
Countertops, Decorative Aggregates, Interior Decoration, Kitchens
Exterior Uses
As Building Stone, As Facing Stone, Garden Decoration, Office Buildings, Paving Stone
As Building Stone, As Facing Stone
Other Architectural Uses
Curbing
Curbing
Construction Industry
As Dimension Stone, Cement Manufacture, Construction Aggregate, for Road Aggregate
As Dimension Stone, Building houses or walls, Cement Manufacture, Construction Aggregate, for Road Aggregate
Antiquity Uses
Artifacts, Monuments, Sculpture
Artifacts
Commercial Uses
Cemetery Markers, Commemorative Tablets, Creating Artwork
Cemetery Markers, Commemorative Tablets, Laboratory bench tops, Jewelry, Sea Defence, Tombstones
Types
Quartz Monzonite, Syenite and Diorite
Clinopyroxenites, Orthopyroxenites and Websterites
Features
Available in lots of colors, Is one of the oldest rock
Generally rough to touch, Host rock for Diamond, Is one of the oldest rock
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.
Pyroxenites are ultramafic igneous rocks which are made up of minerals of the pyroxene group, such as augite and diopside, hypersthene, bronzite or enstatite.
Mineral Content
Albite, Amphibole, Apatite, Biotite, Feldspar, Hornblade, Ilmenite, Magnetite, Muscovite or Illite, Olivine, Plagioclase, Pyroxene, Quartz, Sulfides, Titanite, Zircon
Amphibole, Augite, Bronzite, Chromite, Diopside, Enstatite, Garnet, Hornblende, Hypersthene, Magnetite, Pyroxene
Compound Content
Aluminium Oxide, CaO, Iron(III) Oxide, FeO, Potassium Oxide, MgO, MnO, Sodium Oxide, Phosphorus Pentoxide, Silicon Dioxide, Titanium Dioxide
Aluminium Oxide, CaO, Chromium(III) Oxide, Iron(III) Oxide, Potassium Oxide, MgO, Sodium Oxide, Silicon Dioxide, Sulfur Trioxide
Types of Metamorphism
Cataclastic Metamorphism, Impact Metamorphism, Regional Metamorphism
Burial Metamorphism, Impact Metamorphism, Regional Metamorphism
Types of Weathering
Biological Weathering, Chemical Weathering, Mechanical Weathering
Biological Weathering, Chemical Weathering, Mechanical Weathering
Types of Erosion
Chemical Erosion
Chemical Erosion, Coastal Erosion, Water Erosion
Grain Size
Medium to Fine Coarse Grained
Coarse Grained
Streak
White
White, Greenish White or Grey
Porosity
Less Porous
Less Porous
Luster
Subvitreous to Dull
Dull to Vitreous to Submetallic
Specific Gravity
2.8-3
3.2-3.5
Transparency
Opaque
Opaque
Density
2.9-2.91 g/cm3
3.1-3.6 g/cm3
Resistance
Heat Resistant, Impact Resistant, Pressure Resistant
Impact Resistant, Pressure Resistant, Wear Resistant
Deposits in Eastern Continents
Europe
Bulgaria, England, Germany, Norway, Romania, Switzerland
Germany, Greece, Italy, Scotland, Turkey
Deposits in Western Continents
North America
USA
Canada, USA
South America
Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru
Brazil, Colombia, Venezuela
Deposits in Oceania Continent
Australia
New South Wales, New Zealand, Queensland, South Australia, Western Australia
New Zealand, Queensland
All about Larvikite and Pyroxenite Properties
Know all about Larvikite and Pyroxenite properties here. All properties of rocks are important as they define the type of rock and its application. Larvikite and Pyroxenite belong to Igneous Rocks.Texture of Larvikite is Phaneritic whereas that of Pyroxenite is Clastic, Granular, Phaneritic, Porphyritic. Larvikite appears Shiny and Pyroxenite appears Layered, Banded, Veined and Shiny. The luster of Larvikite is subvitreous to dull while that of Pyroxenite is dull to vitreous to submetallic. Larvikite is available in black, brown, light to dark grey, white colors whereas Pyroxenite is available in black to grey, bluish - grey, dark greenish - grey, green, light greenish grey colors. The commercial uses of Larvikite are cemetery markers, commemorative tablets, creating artwork and that of Pyroxenite are cemetery markers, commemorative tablets, laboratory bench tops, jewelry, sea defence, tombstones.