Definition
Larvikite is an igneous rock and a variety of monzonite, notable for the presence of thumbnail-sized crystals of feldspar
  
Rhomb-porphyry is a porphyritic igneous rock with abundant wedge or lens shaped anorthoclase or feldspar phenocrysts
  
History
  
  
Origin
Larvik, Norway
  
Unknown
  
Discoverer
Unknown
  
Unknown
  
Etymology
From the town of Larvik in Norway, where this type of igneous rock is found
  
From Latin term that means purple
  
Class
Igneous Rocks
  
Igneous Rocks
  
Sub-Class
Durable Rock, Hard Rock
  
Durable Rock, Medium Hardness Rock
  
Family
  
  
Group
Plutonic
  
Volcanic
  
Other Categories
Coarse Grained Rock, Fine Grained Rock, Medium Grained Rock, Opaque Rock
  
Fine Grained Rock, Opaque Rock
  
Texture
Phaneritic
  
Aphanitic to Porphyritic
  
Color
Black, Brown, Light to Dark Grey, White
  
Black, Brown, Colourless, Green, Grey, Pink, White
  
Maintenance
Less
  
Less
  
Durability
Durable
  
Durable
  
Water Resistant
Yes
  
Yes
  
Scratch Resistant
Yes
  
No
  
Stain Resistant
Yes
  
Yes
  
Wind Resistant
Yes
  
Yes
  
Acid Resistant
No
  
No
  
Appearance
Shiny
  
Rough
  
Architecture
  
  
Interior Uses
Decorative Aggregates, Homes, Interior Decoration
  
Decorative Aggregates, Homes, Interior Decoration
  
Exterior Uses
As Building Stone, As Facing Stone, Garden Decoration, Office Buildings, Paving Stone
  
As Building Stone, As Facing Stone, Paving Stone, Garden Decoration, Office Buildings
  
Other Architectural Uses
Curbing
  
Curbing
  
Industry
  
  
Construction Industry
As Dimension Stone, Cement Manufacture, Construction Aggregate, for Road Aggregate
  
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
  
Medical Industry
Not Yet Used
  
Not Yet Used
  
Antiquity Uses
Artifacts, Monuments, Sculpture
  
Artifacts, Monuments, Sculpture, Small Figurines
  
Other Uses
  
  
Commercial Uses
Cemetery Markers, Commemorative Tablets, Creating Artwork
  
An Oil and Gas Reservoir, As a Feed Additive for Livestock, Metallurgical Flux, Soil Conditioner, Source of Magnesia (MgO)
  
Types
Quartz Monzonite, Syenite and Diorite
  
Not Available
  
Features
Available in lots of colors, Is one of the oldest rock
  
Host Rock for Lead
  
Archaeological Significance
  
  
Monuments
Used
  
Used
  
Famous Monuments
Data Not Available
  
Data Not Available
  
Sculpture
Used
  
Used
  
Famous Sculptures
Data Not Available
  
Data Not Available
  
Pictographs
Not Used
  
Used
  
Petroglyphs
Not Used
  
Used
  
Figurines
Used
  
Used
  
Fossils
Absent
  
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.
  
Rhomb-porphyry 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.
  
Composition
  
  
Mineral Content
Albite, Amphibole, Apatite, Biotite, Feldspar, Hornblade, Ilmenite, Magnetite, Muscovite or Illite, Olivine, Plagioclase, Pyroxene, Quartz, Sulfides, Titanite, Zircon
  
Alkali feldspar, Biotite, Plagioclase, Pyroxene
  
Compound Content
Aluminium Oxide, CaO, Iron(III) Oxide, FeO, Potassium Oxide, MgO, MnO, Sodium Oxide, Phosphorus Pentoxide, Silicon Dioxide, Titanium Dioxide
  
CaO, Cl, MgO
  
Transformation
  
  
Metamorphism
Yes
  
Yes
  
Types of Metamorphism
Cataclastic Metamorphism, Impact Metamorphism, Regional Metamorphism
  
Impact Metamorphism
  
Weathering
Yes
  
Yes
  
Types of Weathering
Biological Weathering, Chemical Weathering, Mechanical Weathering
  
Biological Weathering, Chemical Weathering, Mechanical Weathering
  
Erosion
Yes
  
Yes
  
Types of Erosion
Chemical Erosion
  
Chemical Erosion, Coastal Erosion, Glacier Erosion, Water Erosion
  
Physical Properties
  
  
Hardness
6-7
  
5-5.5
  
Grain Size
Medium to Fine Coarse Grained
  
Fine Grained
  
Fracture
Not Available
  
Conchoidal
  
Streak
White
  
White
  
Porosity
Less Porous
  
Very Less Porous
  
Luster
Subvitreous to Dull
  
Subvitreous to Dull
  
Compressive Strength
310.00 N/mm
2
  
2
310.00 N/mm
2
  
2
Cleavage
Not Available
  
Perfect
  
Toughness
Not Available
  
2.7
  
Specific Gravity
2.8-3
  
2.86
  
Transparency
Opaque
  
Translucent
  
Density
2.9-2.91 g/cm3
  
2.8-2.9 g/cm3
  
Thermal Properties
  
  
Specific Heat Capacity
0.92 kJ/Kg K
  
10
0.92 kJ/Kg K
  
10
Resistance
Heat Resistant, Impact Resistant, Pressure Resistant
  
Heat Resistant, Pressure Resistant
  
Deposits in Eastern Continents
  
  
Asia
Not Yet Found
  
Not Yet Found
  
Africa
Not Yet Found
  
Not Yet Found
  
Europe
Bulgaria, England, Germany, Norway, Romania, Switzerland
  
Bulgaria
  
Others
Not Yet Found
  
Not Yet Found
  
Deposits in Western Continents
  
  
North America
USA
  
USA
  
South America
Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru
  
Not Yet Found
  
Deposits in Oceania Continent
  
  
Australia
New South Wales, New Zealand, Queensland, South Australia, Western Australia
  
Not Yet Found