Marble

Granite

Marble vs Granite

Marble

Granite

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1 Definition

1.1 Definition

Marble is a non-foliated metamorphic rock which is composed of recrystallized carbonate which is formed when limestone is exposed to high temperatures and pressures over a long time

Granite is a very hard, granular, crystalline igneous rock which consists mainly of quartz, mica, and feldspar and is often used as building stone

1.2 History

1.2.1 Origin

Egypt

Unknown

1.2.2 Discoverer

Unknown

1.3 Etymology

From the Greek marmaros, shining stone and also from the English word marmoreal meaning marble-like

From Italian granito, which means grained rock, from grano grain, and from Latin granum

1.4 Class

Metamorphic Rocks

Igneous Rocks

1.4.1 Sub-Class

Durable Rock, Medium Hardness Rock

Durable Rock, Hard Rock

1.5 Family

1.5.1 Group

Not Applicable

Plutonic

1.6 Other Categories

Medium Grained Rock, Opaque Rock

Coarse Grained Rock, Opaque Rock

2 Texture

2.1 Texture

Granular

Granular, Phaneritic

2.2 Color

Black, Blue, Brown, Grey, Pink, White

Black, Grey, Orange, Pink, White

2.3 Maintenance

2.4 Durability

Durable

2.4.1 Water Resistant

✔ ✘

2.4.2 Scratch Resistant

✔ ✘

2.4.3 Stain Resistant

✔ ✘

2.4.4 Wind Resistant

✔ ✘

2.4.5 Acid Resistant

✔ ✘

2.5 Appearance

Veined and Shiny

Veined or Pebbled

3 Uses

3.1 Architecture

3.1.1 Interior Uses

Bathrooms, Countertops, Decorative Aggregates, Entryways, Floor Tiles, Homes, Hotels, Interior Decoration, Kitchens, Stair Treads

Countertops, Decorative Aggregates, Entryways, Floor Tiles, Flooring, Homes, Hotels, Interior Decoration, Kitchens, Stair Treads

3.1.2 Exterior Uses

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

As Building Stone, As Facing Stone, Bridges, Paving Stone, Garden Decoration, Near Swimming Pools, Office Buildings, Resorts

3.1.3 Other Architectural Uses

Not Yet Used

Curbing

3.2 Industry

3.2.1 Construction Industry

As Dimension Stone

3.2.2 Medical Industry

Not Yet Used

3.3 Antiquity Uses

Artifacts, Jewellery, Monuments, Sculpture, Small Figurines

Monuments, Sculpture, Small Figurines

3.4 Other Uses

3.4.1 Commercial Uses

Cemetery Markers, Commemorative Tablets, Creating Artwork, Curling, Laboratory bench tops, Paper Industry, Tombstones, Used in aquariums, Whiting material in toothpaste, paint and paper

Curling, Gemstone, Laboratory bench tops, Tombstones, Used in aquariums

4 Types

4.1 Types

Breccia Marble, Carrara Marble, Calacatta marble, Cultured Marble, Polished Marble, Honed Marble, Sand Marble

Igneous Protolith Granite, Sedimentary Protolith Granite, Mantle Granite, Anorogenic Granite, Hybrid Granite, Granodiorite and Alkali Feldspar Granite

4.2 Features

Available in Lots of Colors and Patterns, Easily splits into thin plates, Generally rough to touch, Is one of the oldest rock

Available in Lots of Colors and Patterns, It is One of the Oldest, Strongest and Hardest Rock

4.3 Archaeological Significance

4.3.1 Monuments

Used

4.3.2 Famous Monuments

Al Aqsa Mosque in Jerusalem, Buland Darwaza in Agra, India, Capitol Hill Building, Washington DC, Charminar in Hyderabad, India, Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus in Maharashtra, India, Ephesus in Turkey, Faisal Mosque in Islamabad, Pakistan, Humayun's Tomb in Delhi, India, Jama Masjid in Delhi, India, Lotus Temple in New Delhi, India, Louvre in Paris, France, Mysore Palace in Karnataka, India, Neuschwanstein in Bavaria, Palace of Parliament in Bucharest, Romania, Parthenon in Greece, Potala Palace in Lahasa, Tibet, Prophet’s Mosque in Medina, Qutb Minar in India, Saint Basil's Cathedral in Moscow, Russia, St. Peter’s Cathedral in Vatican City, Taj Mahal in Agra, India, Tower of Pisa, Italy, Victoria Memorial in Kolkata, India, Washington Monument, US

Agia Sophia in Istanbul, Turkey, Blue Domed Church in Santorini, Greece, Blue Mosque in Istanbul, Charminar in Hyderabad, India, Diana, Princess of Wales Memorial Fountain in London, UK, Ephesus in Turkey, Georgia Guidestones in Georgia, US, Hermitage in Saint Petersburg, Khajuraho Temples, India, Mahabalipuram in Tamil Nadu, India, Mysore Palace in Karnataka, India, Signers Monument in Augusta, Georgia, Statue of Liberty in New York, USA, Taj Mahal in Agra, India, Tower Bridge in London, Vietnam Veterans Memorial in Washington, US, Washington Monument, US

4.3.3 Sculpture

Used

4.3.4 Famous Sculptures

Ajanta Caves in Maharashtra, India, Bust of Artemis, Elephanta Caves in Maharashtra, India, Lincoln Memorial in America

Avukana Buddha Statue in Sri Lanka, Lincoln Memorial in America, Mount Rushmore National Memorial in South Dakota, US, The Colossal Red Granite Statue of Amenhotep III in Karnak, Egypt

4.3.5 Pictographs

Used

Not Used

4.3.6 Petroglyphs

Used

Not Used

4.3.7 Figurines

Used

4.4 Fossils

Absent

5 Formation

5.1 Formation

Marble is a metamorphic rock produced from limestone in the earth crust. It is formed by the metamorphism of limestone.

Granite is an intrusive igneous rock which is very hard, crystalline and is visibly homogeneous in texture and forms by melting of continental rocks

5.2 Composition

5.2.1 Mineral Content

Garnet, Graphite, Olivine, Pyrite, Quartz

Amphibole, Biotite, Feldspar, Hornblade, Micas, Muscovite or Illite, Plagioclase, Pyroxene, Quartz

5.2.2 Compound Content

CaO, Iron(III) Oxide, FeO, MgO, Silicon Dioxide

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

5.3 Transformation

5.3.1 Metamorphism

✔ ✘

5.3.2 Types of Metamorphism

Impact Metamorphism

Burial Metamorphism, Cataclastic Metamorphism

5.3.3 Weathering

✔ ✘

5.3.4 Types of Weathering

Biological Weathering, Chemical Weathering, Mechanical Weathering

Biological Weathering

5.3.5 Erosion

✔ ✘

5.3.6 Types of Erosion

Chemical Erosion, Coastal Erosion

Chemical Erosion, Sea Erosion, Water Erosion

6 Properties

6.1 Physical Properties

6.1.1 Hardness

3-46-7

1 7

6.1.2 Grain Size

Medium Grained

Large and Coarse Grained

6.1.3 Fracture

Not Available

6.1.4 Streak

White

6.1.5 Porosity

Less Porous

6.1.6 Luster

Dull to Pearly to Subvitreous

Dull to Grainy with Sporadic parts Pearly and Vitreous

6.1.7 Compressive Strength

115.00 N/mm²175.00 N/mm²

0.15 450

6.1.8 Cleavage

Perfect

Not Available

6.1.9 Toughness

Not Available

6.1.10 Specific Gravity

2.86-2.872.6-2.7

0 8.4

6.1.11 Transparency

Opaque

6.1.12 Density

2.4-2.7 g/cm³2.65-2.75 g/cm³

0 1400

6.2 Thermal Properties

6.2.1 Specific Heat Capacity

0.88 kJ/Kg K0.79 kJ/Kg K

0.14 3.2

6.2.2 Resistance

Heat Resistant

Heat Resistant, Wear Resistant

7 Reserves

7.1 Deposits in Eastern Continents

7.1.1 Asia

China, India

China, India, Iran, Saudi Arabia, Sri Lanka, Taiwan, Thailand, Turkey, Vietnam

7.1.2 Africa

Namibia

Angola, Egypt, Madagascar, Namibia, Nigeria, South Africa

7.1.3 Europe

Italy, Spain

Austria, Belgium, Finland, France, Germany, Italy, Norway, Sardinia, Spain, Switzerland, The Czech Republic, Venezuela

7.1.4 Others

Not Yet Found

7.2 Deposits in Western Continents

7.2.1 North America

Not Yet Found

Canada, USA

7.2.2 South America

Not Yet Found

7.3 Deposits in Oceania Continent

7.3.1 Australia

New South Wales, New Zealand, Queensland, Victoria

Not Yet Found

Marble vs Granite Information

Earth’s outer layer is covered by rocks and these rocks have different physical and chemical properties. As two rocks are not same, it’s fun to compare them. You can also know more about Marble and Granite Reserves. Marble is a non-foliated metamorphic rock which is composed of recrystallized carbonate which is formed when limestone is exposed to high temperatures and pressures over a long time. Granite is a very hard, granular, crystalline igneous rock which consists mainly of quartz, mica, and feldspar and is often used as building stone. These rocks are composed of many distinct minerals. The process of formation of rocks is different for various rocks. Rocks are quarried from many years for various purposes. You can check out Marble vs Granite information and Marble vs Granite characteristics in the upcoming sections.

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Marble vs Granite Characteristics

Though some rocks look identical, they have certain characteristics which distinguish them from others. Characteristics of rocks include texture, appearance, color, fracture, streak, hardness etc. Marble vs Granite characteristics assist us to distinguish and recognize rocks. Also you can check about Properties of Marble and Properties of Granite. Learn more about Marble vs Granite in the next section. The interior uses of Marble include Bathrooms, Countertops, Decorative aggregates, Entryways, Floor tiles, Homes, Hotels, Interior decoration, Kitchens and Stair treads whereas the interior uses of Granite include Countertops, Decorative aggregates, Entryways, Floor tiles, Flooring, Homes, Hotels, Interior decoration, Kitchens and Stair treads. Due to some exceptional properties of Marble and Granite, they have various applications in construction industry. The uses of Marble in construction industry include As dimension stone and that of Granite include As dimension stone.

More about Marble and Granite

Here you can know more about Marble and Granite. The life cycle of a rock consists of formation of rock, composition of rock and transformation of rock. The composition of Marble and Granite consists of mineral content and compound content. The mineral content of Marble includes Garnet, Graphite, Olivine, Pyrite, Quartz and mineral content of Granite includes Amphibole, Biotite, Feldspar, Hornblade, Micas, Muscovite or Illite, Plagioclase, Pyroxene, Quartz. You can also check out the list of all Metamorphic Rocks. When we have to compare Marble vs Granite, the texture, color and appearance plays an important role in determining the type of rock. Marble is available in black, blue, brown, grey, pink, white colors whereas, Granite is available in black, grey, orange, pink, white colors. Appearance of Marble is Veined and Shiny and that of Granite is Veined or Pebbled. Properties of rock is another aspect for Marble vs Granite. The hardness of Marble is 3-4 and that of Granite is 6-7. The types of Marble are Breccia Marble, Carrara Marble, Calacatta marble, Cultured Marble, Polished Marble, Honed Marble, Sand Marble whereas types of Granite are Igneous Protolith Granite, Sedimentary Protolith Granite, Mantle Granite, Anorogenic Granite, Hybrid Granite, Granodiorite and Alkali Feldspar Granite. Streak of rock is the color of powder produced when it is dragged across an unweathered surface. The streak of Marble and Granite is white. The specific heat capacity of Marble is 0.88 kJ/Kg K and that of Granite is 0.79 kJ/Kg K. Depending on the properties like hardness, toughness, specific heat capacity, porosity etc., rocks are resistant to heat, wear, impact, etc.Marble is heat resistant whereas Granite is heat resistant, wear resistant.