Definition
Obsidian is a naturally occurring volcanic glass formed as an extrusive igneous rock. It is produced when felsic lava extruded from a volcano cools rapidly with minimum crystal growth
Granophyre is a type of granitic rock which consists of intergrown feldspar and quartz crystals in a medium to fine grained groundmass
Discoverer
Obsius
Unknown
Etymology
From Latin obsidianus, misprint of Obsianus (lapis) (stone) of Obsius
From German Granophyr, from Granit granite + Porphyr
Class
Igneous Rocks
Igneous Rocks
Sub-Class
Durable Rock, Medium Hardness Rock
Durable Rock, Hard Rock
Other Categories
Opaque Rock
Coarse Grained Rock, Fine Grained Rock, Medium Grained Rock, Opaque Rock
Texture
Glassy
Granophyric
Color
Black, Blue, Brown, Green, Orange, Red, Tan, Yellow
Black, Grey, Orange, Pink, White
Durability
Durable
Durable
Scratch Resistant
Yes
Yes
Appearance
Shiny
Veined or Pebbled
Interior Uses
Decorative Aggregates, Interior Decoration
Bathrooms, Countertops, Decorative Aggregates, Entryways, Floor Tiles, Flooring, Homes, Hotels, Interior Decoration, Kitchens, Stair Treads
Exterior Uses
Garden Decoration
As Building Stone, As Facing Stone, Bridges, Garden Decoration, Office Buildings, Paving Stone
Other Architectural Uses
-
-
Construction Industry
Arrowheads, Cutting Tool, Knives, Scrapers, Spear Points
As Dimension Stone
Medical Industry
Surgery
-
Antiquity Uses
Artifacts, Jewellery
Artifacts, Monuments, Sculpture, Small Figurines
Commercial Uses
Creating Artwork, Mirror, Used in aquariums
Curling, Gemstone, Laboratory bench tops, Tombstones
Types
Fireworks Obsidian, Mahogany, Sheen Obsidian, Snowflake obsidian and Velvet Peacock Obsidian
Intermediate intrusive rock
Features
Blocks negativity, Helps to protect against depression
Available in Lots of Colors and Patterns, It is One of the Oldest, Strongest and Hardest Rock
Archaeological Significance
Formation
When the lava is released from volcano, it undergoes a very rapid cooling which freezes the mechanisms of crystallization. The result is a volcanic glass with a uniform smooth texture.
Granophyre 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.
Mineral Content
-
Hornblade, Orthoclase, Plagioclase, Quartz
Compound Content
Aluminium Oxide, CaO, Iron(III) Oxide, FeO, Potassium Oxide, MgO, MnO, Sodium Oxide, Phosphorus Pentoxide, Silicon Dioxide, Titanium Dioxide
Aluminium Oxide, CaO, Iron(III) Oxide, FeO, Potassium Oxide, MgO, MnO, Sodium Oxide, Phosphorus Pentoxide, Silicon Dioxide, Titanium Dioxide
Types of Metamorphism
Burial Metamorphism, Cataclastic Metamorphism, Contact Metamorphism
Burial Metamorphism, Impact Metamorphism
Types of Weathering
Biological Weathering, Chemical Weathering, Mechanical Weathering
Biological Weathering
Types of Erosion
Chemical Erosion, Coastal Erosion, Glacier Erosion
Glacier Erosion, Sea Erosion, Wind Erosion
Grain Size
-
Medium to Fine Coarse Grained
Porosity
Very Less Porous
Less Porous
Luster
Vitreous
Dull to Grainy with Sporadic parts Pearly and Vitreous
Specific Gravity
2.6-2.7
2.6-2.7
Transparency
Translucent
Opaque
Density
2.6 g/cm3
2.6-2.8 g/cm3
Resistance
Heat Resistant, Impact Resistant
Heat Resistant, Wear Resistant
Deposits in Eastern Continents
Asia
Afghanistan, Indonesia, Japan, Russia
China, India, Iran, Saudi Arabia, Sri Lanka, Taiwan, Thailand, Turkey, Vietnam
Africa
Kenya
Angola, Egypt, Madagascar, Namibia, Nigeria, South Africa
Europe
Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Italy, Turkey
Austria, Belgium, Finland, France, Germany, Italy, Norway, Sardinia, Spain, Switzerland, The Czech Republic
Deposits in Western Continents
North America
Canada, Mexico, USA
Canada, USA
South America
Argentina, Chile, Ecuador, Peru
-
Deposits in Oceania Continent
Obsidian vs Granophyre 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. Obsidian vs Granophyre characteristics assist us to distinguish and recognize rocks. Also you can check about Properties of Obsidian and Properties of Granophyre. Learn more about Obsidian vs Granophyre in the next section. The interior uses of Obsidian include Decorative aggregates and Interior decoration whereas the interior uses of Granophyre include Bathrooms, Countertops, Decorative aggregates, Entryways, Floor tiles, Flooring, Homes, Hotels, Interior decoration, Kitchens and Stair treads. Due to some exceptional properties of Obsidian and Granophyre, they have various applications in construction industry. The uses of Obsidian in construction industry include Arrowheads, Cutting tool, Knives, Scrapers, Spear points and that of Granophyre include As dimension stone.
More about Obsidian and Granophyre
Here you can know more about Obsidian and Granophyre. The life cycle of a rock consists of formation of rock, composition of rock and transformation of rock. The composition of Obsidian and Granophyre consists of mineral content and compound content. The mineral content of Obsidian includes and mineral content of Granophyre includes Hornblade, Orthoclase, Plagioclase, Quartz. You can also check out the list of all Igneous Rocks. When we have to compare Obsidian vs Granophyre, the texture, color and appearance plays an important role in determining the type of rock. Obsidian is available in black, blue, brown, green, orange, red, tan, yellow colors whereas, Granophyre is available in black, grey, orange, pink, white colors. Appearance of Obsidian is Shiny and that of Granophyre is Veined or Pebbled. Properties of rock is another aspect for Obsidian vs Granophyre. The hardness of Obsidian is 5-5.5 and that of Granophyre is 6-7. The types of Obsidian are Fireworks Obsidian, Mahogany, Sheen Obsidian, Snowflake obsidian and Velvet Peacock Obsidian whereas types of Granophyre are Intermediate intrusive rock. Streak of rock is the color of powder produced when it is dragged across an unweathered surface. The streak of Obsidian and Granophyre is white. The specific heat capacity of Obsidian is 0.92 kJ/Kg K and that of Granophyre 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.Obsidian is heat resistant, impact resistant whereas Granophyre is heat resistant, wear resistant.