Definition
Larvikite is an igneous rock and a variety of monzonite, notable for the presence of thumbnail-sized crystals of feldspar
Limestone is a sedimentary rock composed mostly of calcite and aragonite, which are different crystal forms of calcium carbonate
History
Origin
Larvik, Norway
New Zealand
Discoverer
Unknown
Belsazar Hacquet
Etymology
From the town of Larvik in Norway, where this type of igneous rock is found
From lime and stone in late 14th Century
Class
Igneous Rocks
Sedimentary Rocks
Sub-Class
Durable Rock, Hard Rock
Durable Rock, Medium Hardness Rock
Family
Group
Plutonic
-
Other Categories
Coarse Grained Rock, Fine Grained Rock, Medium Grained Rock, Opaque Rock
Fine Grained Rock, Opaque Rock
Texture
Phaneritic
Clastic or Non-Clastic
Color
Black, Brown, Light to Dark Grey, White
Beige, Black, Blue, Brown, Cream, Gold, Green, Grey, Light Green, Light Grey, Linen, Pink, Red, Rust, Silver, White, Yellow
Maintenance
Less
More
Durability
Durable
Durable
Water Resistant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Scratch Resistant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Stain Resistant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Wind Resistant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Acid Resistant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Appearance
Shiny
Rough and Banded
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
As Building Stone, As Facing Stone, Garden Decoration, Office Buildings
Other Architectural Uses
Curbing
Curbing
Industry
Construction Industry
As Dimension Stone, Cement Manufacture, Construction Aggregate, for Road Aggregate
Cement Manufacture, Cobblestones, for Road Aggregate, Production of Glass and Ceramics, Raw material for the manufacture of mortar, Roadstone, Source of calcium
Medical Industry
-
In Chemical and Pharmaceutical Industry, Medicines and Cosmetics
Antiquity Uses
Artifacts, Monuments, Sculpture
Artifacts, Monuments, Sculpture, Small Figurines
Other Uses
Commercial Uses
Cemetery Markers, Commemorative Tablets, Creating Artwork
Animal feed filler, As a Feed Additive for Livestock, Paper Industry, Raw material for manufacture of quicklime, slaked lime, Soil Conditioner, Used in aquariums, Whiting material in toothpaste, paint and paper
Types
Quartz Monzonite, Syenite and Diorite
Chalk, Coquina, Fossiliferous Limestone, Lithographic Limestone, Oolitic Limestone, Travertine, Tufa
Features
Available in lots of colors, Is one of the oldest rock
Host Rock for Lead, Stalactites and stalagmites are formed from this rock, Zinc and Copper Deposits
Archaeological Significance
Monuments
-
-
Famous Monuments
-
Acropolis of Athens in Greece, Agia Sophia in Istanbul, Turkey, Al Aqsa Mosque in Jerusalem, Angkor Wat in Cambodia, Big Ben in London, Charminar in Hyderabad, India, Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus in Maharashtra, India, Chichen Itza in Mexico, Empire State Building in New York, Khajuraho Temples, India, Kremlin in Moscow, Louvre in Paris, France, Neuschwanstein in Bavaria, Potala Palace in Lahasa, Tibet, Wailing Wall in Jerusalem
Sculpture
-
-
Famous Sculptures
-
Ajanta Caves in Maharashtra, India, Elephanta Caves in Maharashtra, India
Pictographs
-
-
Petroglyphs
-
-
Figurines
-
-
Fossils
Absent
Present
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.
Limestone is a sedimentary rock which is mainly made up of calcium carbonate.
Composition
Mineral Content
Albite, Amphibole, Apatite, Biotite, Feldspar, Hornblade, Ilmenite, Magnetite, Muscovite or Illite, Olivine, Plagioclase, Pyroxene, Quartz, Sulfides, Titanite, Zircon
Calcite, Chert, Clay, Dolomite, Quartz, Sand, Silt
Compound Content
Aluminium Oxide, CaO, Iron(III) Oxide, FeO, Potassium Oxide, MgO, MnO, Sodium Oxide, Phosphorus Pentoxide, Silicon Dioxide, Titanium Dioxide
Aluminium Oxide, NaCl, CaO, Iron(III) Oxide, FeO, MgO
Transformation
Metamorphism
✔
✘
✔
✘
Types of Metamorphism
Cataclastic Metamorphism, Impact Metamorphism, Regional Metamorphism
-
Weathering
✔
✘
✔
✘
Types of Weathering
Biological Weathering, Chemical Weathering, Mechanical Weathering
Biological Weathering, Chemical Weathering, Mechanical Weathering
Erosion
✔
✘
✔
✘
Types of Erosion
Chemical Erosion
Chemical Erosion, Coastal Erosion
Physical Properties
Hardness
6-73-4
1
7
👆🏻
Grain Size
Medium to Fine Coarse Grained
Fine Grained
Fracture
-
Splintery
Streak
White
White
Porosity
Less Porous
Less Porous
Luster
Subvitreous to Dull
Dull to Pearly
Compressive Strength
310.00 N/mm2115.00 N/mm2
0.15
450
👆🏻
Cleavage
-
-
Toughness
-
1
Specific Gravity
2.8-32.3-2.7
0
8.4
👆🏻
Transparency
Opaque
Opaque
Density
2.9-2.91 g/cm32.3-2.7 g/cm3
0
1400
👆🏻
Thermal Properties
Specific Heat Capacity
0.92 kJ/Kg K0.91 kJ/Kg K
0.14
3.2
👆🏻
Resistance
Heat Resistant, Impact Resistant, Pressure Resistant
Pressure Resistant
Deposits in Eastern Continents
Asia
-
Brunei, India, Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore, Thailand, Vietnam
Africa
-
Cameroon, Chad, Ghana, Kenya, Malawi, Sudan, Tanzania, Togo, Zambia, Zimbabwe
Europe
Bulgaria, England, Germany, Norway, Romania, Switzerland
United Kingdom
Others
-
-
Deposits in Western Continents
North America
USA
USA
South America
Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru
Colombia
Deposits in Oceania Continent
Australia
New South Wales, New Zealand, Queensland, South Australia, Western Australia
Adelaide, New Zealand, Queensland, Victoria, Yorke Peninsula