Definition
Nephelinite is a fine-grained or aphanitic igneous rock made up almost entirely of nepheline and clinopyroxene (variety augite).
Diorite is a grey to dark-grey intermediate intrusive igneous rock composed principally of plagioclase feldspar,biotite, hornblende, and pyroxene
Discoverer
Unknown
Unknown
Etymology
from French néphéline, from Greek nephelē
From early 19th century coined in French, formed irregularly from Greek diorizein distinguish
Class
Igneous Rocks
Igneous Rocks
Sub-Class
Durable Rock, Hard Rock
Durable Rock, Hard Rock
Other Categories
Fine Grained Rock, Opaque Rock
Coarse Grained Rock, Medium Grained Rock, Opaque Rock
Texture
Aphanitic
Phaneritic
Color
Black, Brown, Colourless, Green, Grey, White
Black, Brown, Light to Dark Grey, White
Durability
Durable
Durable
Appearance
Skeletal
Shiny
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
Other Architectural Uses
Curbing
Curbing
Construction Industry
As Dimension Stone, Cement Manufacture, Construction Aggregate, for Road Aggregate
As Dimension Stone, Cement Manufacture, Cobblestones, Construction Aggregate, for Road Aggregate
Medical Industry
Not Yet Used
Not Yet Used
Antiquity Uses
Artifacts, Monuments, Sculpture, Small Figurines
Artifacts, Monuments, Sculpture, Small Figurines
Commercial Uses
Creating Artwork, Soil Conditioner, Source of Magnesia (MgO)
Creating Artwork, Curling
Types
Peralkaline Nephelinite
Not Available
Features
Host Rock for Lead
Typically speckled black and white.
Archaeological Significance
Famous Monuments
Data Not Available
Data Not Available
Famous Sculptures
Data Not Available
Data Not Available
Pictographs
Not Used
Not Used
Petroglyphs
Not Used
Not Used
Formation
Nephelinite 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.
Diorite is a coarse-grained intrusive igneous rock which contains large interlocking and randomly oriented crystals and forms when molten lava does not reach the Earth’s surface and cools down in the Earth’s crust.
Mineral Content
Clinopyroxene, Nepheline, Plagioclase
Albite, Amphibole, Apatite, Biotite, Feldspar, Hornblade, Ilmenite, Magnetite, Muscovite or Illite, Olivine, Plagioclase, Pyroxene, Quartz, Sulfides, Titanite, Zircon
Compound Content
Ca, CaO, Carbon, Cl, MgO
Silicon Dioxide
Types of Metamorphism
Contact Metamorphism
Cataclastic Metamorphism, Contact Metamorphism, Regional Metamorphism
Types of Weathering
Biological Weathering, Chemical Weathering, Mechanical Weathering
Biological Weathering, Chemical Weathering, Mechanical Weathering
Types of Erosion
Chemical Erosion, Water Erosion, Wind Erosion
Chemical Erosion, Coastal Erosion, Water Erosion
Grain Size
Fine Grained
Medium to Coarse Grained
Fracture
Flat
Not Available
Streak
White
Bluish Black
Porosity
Less Porous
Very Less Porous
Luster
Vitreous to Metallic
Shiny
Cleavage
Imperfect
Not Available
Specific Gravity
2.4-2.9
2.8-3
Transparency
Opaque
Opaque
Density
2.5-3 g/cm3
2.8-3 g/cm3
Specific Heat Capacity
Not Available
Resistance
Heat Resistant
Heat Resistant, Pressure Resistant, Wear Resistant
Deposits in Eastern Continents
Africa
Rwanda, Tanzania
Egypt
Europe
Not Yet Found
Finland, Germany, Italy, Romania, Sweden, Turkey, United Kingdom
Others
Hawaii Islands
Not Yet Found
Deposits in Western Continents
North America
Canada, USA
USA
South America
Colombia
Argentina, Bolivia, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru
Deposits in Oceania Continent
Australia
Not Yet Found
New Zealand, Western Australia
Nephelinite vs Diorite 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. Nephelinite vs Diorite characteristics assist us to distinguish and recognize rocks. Also you can check about Properties of Nephelinite and Properties of Diorite. Learn more about Nephelinite vs Diorite in the next section. The interior uses of Nephelinite include Decorative aggregates, Homes and Interior decoration whereas the interior uses of Diorite include Decorative aggregates and Interior decoration. Due to some exceptional properties of Nephelinite and Diorite, they have various applications in construction industry. The uses of Nephelinite in construction industry include As dimension stone, Cement manufacture, Construction aggregate, For road aggregate and that of Diorite include As dimension stone, Cement manufacture, Cobblestones, Construction aggregate, For road aggregate.
More about Nephelinite and Diorite
Here you can know more about Nephelinite and Diorite. The life cycle of a rock consists of formation of rock, composition of rock and transformation of rock. The composition of Nephelinite and Diorite consists of mineral content and compound content. The mineral content of Nephelinite includes Clinopyroxene, Nepheline, Plagioclase and mineral content of Diorite includes Albite, Amphibole, Apatite, Biotite, Feldspar, Hornblade, Ilmenite, Magnetite, Muscovite or Illite, Olivine, Plagioclase, Pyroxene, Quartz, Sulfides, Titanite, Zircon. You can also check out the list of all Igneous Rocks. When we have to compare Nephelinite vs Diorite, the texture, color and appearance plays an important role in determining the type of rock. Nephelinite is available in black, brown, colourless, green, grey, white colors whereas, Diorite is available in black, brown, light to dark grey, white colors. Appearance of Nephelinite is Skeletal and that of Diorite is Shiny. Properties of rock is another aspect for Nephelinite vs Diorite. The hardness of Nephelinite is 6.5 and that of Diorite is 6-7. The types of Nephelinite are Peralkaline Nephelinite whereas types of Diorite are Not Available. Streak of rock is the color of powder produced when it is dragged across an unweathered surface. The streak of Nephelinite is white while that of Diorite is bluish black. The specific heat capacity of Nephelinite is 0.88 kJ/Kg K and that of Diorite is Not Available. Depending on the properties like hardness, toughness, specific heat capacity, porosity etc., rocks are resistant to heat, wear, impact, etc.Nephelinite is heat resistant whereas Diorite is heat resistant, pressure resistant, wear resistant.