Definition
Nepheline Syenite is a holocrystalline plutonic rock resembling syenite but containing nepheline and lacking quartz
Migmatite is typically a granitic rock within a metamorphic host rock which is composed of two intermingled but distinguishable components
Origin
Unknown
Southern Alps, France
Discoverer
Unknown
Jakob Sederholm
Etymology
From origin of a Palaeozoic nepheline syenite from northern Shanxi Province, China
From the Greek word migma which means a mixture
Class
Igneous Rocks
Metamorphic Rocks
Sub-Class
Durable Rock, Medium Hardness Rock
Durable Rock, Medium Hardness Rock
Group
Plutonic
Not Applicable
Other Categories
Fine Grained Rock, Opaque Rock
Coarse Grained Rock, Fine Grained Rock, Medium Grained Rock, Opaque Rock
Texture
Granular
Foliated
Color
Brown, Buff, Cream, Green, Grey, Pink, White
Black, Bluish - Grey, Brown, Brown- Black, Dark Greenish - Grey, Dark Grey to Black
Durability
Durable
Durable
Appearance
Banded and Foilated
Dull, Banded and Foilated
Interior Uses
Countertops, Decorative Aggregates, Flooring, Homes, Interior Decoration
Countertops, Flooring, Kitchens
Exterior Uses
As Building Stone, As Facing Stone, Garden Decoration, 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, Landscaping, Making natural cement, Manufacture of Magnesium and Dolomite Refractories, Production of Glass and Ceramics
As Dimension Stone, Cement Manufacture, for Road Aggregate, Making natural cement
Medical Industry
Not Yet Used
Not Yet Used
Antiquity Uses
Artifacts, Monuments, Sculpture
Artifacts
Commercial Uses
Cemetery Markers, Creating Artwork
Cemetery Markers, Jewelry, Tombstones, Used to manufracture paperweights and bookends
Types
Borolanite and Litchfieldite
Diatexites and Metatexites
Features
Application of acids on the surface causes cloudy frosting, Available in Lots of Colors and Patterns, Dissolves in hydrochloric acid, Is one of the oldest rock
Generally rough to touch, Is one of the oldest rock
Archaeological Significance
Monuments
Used
Not Yet Used
Famous Monuments
Data Not Available
Not Applicable
Sculpture
Used
Not Yet Used
Famous Sculptures
Data Not Available
Not Applicable
Figurines
Used
Not Yet Used
Formation
Nepheline Syenites are formed due to alkaline igneous activities and are generally formed in thick continental crustal areas or in Cordilleran subduction zones.
Migmatites form by high temperature regional and thermal metamorphism of protolith rocks where rocks melt partially due to high temperature.
Mineral Content
Albite, Amphibole, Biotite, Cancrinite, Feldspar, Hornblende, Plagioclase, Pyroxene, Sodalite
Biotite, Chlorite, Feldspar, Garnet, Graphite, Hornblade, Micas, Muscovite or Illite, Quartz, Quartzite, Silica, Zircon
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, Carbon Dioxide, Iron(III) Oxide, FeO, Potassium Oxide, Magnesium Carbonate, MgO, MnO, Phosphorus Pentoxide, Silicon Dioxide, Titanium Dioxide
Types of Metamorphism
Burial Metamorphism, Impact Metamorphism
Burial Metamorphism, Cataclastic Metamorphism, Regional Metamorphism
Types of Weathering
Biological Weathering, Chemical Weathering
Biological Weathering, Chemical Weathering, Mechanical Weathering
Types of Erosion
Chemical Erosion
Chemical Erosion, Glacier Erosion, Water Erosion, Wind Erosion
Grain Size
Fine Grained
Medium to Fine Coarse Grained
Fracture
Conchoidal to Uneven
Irregular
Porosity
Less Porous
Very Less Porous
Luster
Greasy to Dull
Dull to Pearly to Subvitreous
Compressive Strength
Not Available
Toughness
Not Available
1.2
Specific Gravity
2.6
2.65-2.75
Transparency
Translucent to Opaque
Opaque
Density
2.6 g/cm3
Not Available
Resistance
Heat Resistant, Impact Resistant, Wear Resistant
Heat Resistant, Pressure Resistant
Deposits in Eastern Continents
Asia
Indonesia, Iran, Russia, Saudi Arabia, Sri Lanka, Taiwan, Thailand, Turkey, Turkmenistan, Vietnam
China, India, Iran, Iraq, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Mongolia, Russia
Africa
Angola, Egypt, Madagascar, Namibia, Nigeria, South Africa
Cameroon, Ethiopia, Ghana, Kenya, Madagascar, Morocco, Mozambique, Namibia, Nigeria, Tanzania, Togo
Europe
Andorra, Finland, France, Great Britain, Italy, Norway, Portugal, Spain, Sweden
Albania, Austria, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Finland, France, Georgia, Germany, Hungary, Italy, Kosovo, Monaco, Norway, Poland, Romania, Serbia, Slovakia, Slovenia, Sweden, Switzerland, Ukraine, United Kingdom
Others
Greenland
Not Yet Found
Deposits in Western Continents
North America
Canada, USA
Canada, Costa Rica, Cuba, Mexico, Panama, USA
South America
Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Uruguay, Venezuela
Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, Venezuela
Deposits in Oceania Continent
Australia
New Zealand, Queensland, South Australia, Tasmania, Western Australia
New South Wales, New Zealand, Queensland, Victoria