Definition
Pegmatite rock is a holocrystalline, intrusive igneous rock which is composed of interlocking phaneritic crystals
Diorite is a grey to dark-grey intermediate intrusive igneous rock composed principally of plagioclase feldspar,biotite, hornblende, and pyroxene
Discoverer
R. J. Hauy
Unknown
Etymology
From Greek pegma, pegmat which means- thing joined together + -ite
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
Coarse Grained Rock, Opaque Rock
Coarse Grained Rock, Medium Grained Rock, Opaque Rock
Texture
Pegmatitic
Phaneritic
Color
Black, Brown, Cream, Green, Grey, Pink, Red, Rust, Silver, White, Yellow
Black, Brown, Light to Dark Grey, White
Durability
Durable
Durable
Appearance
Layered, Banded, Veined and Shiny
Shiny
Interior Uses
Decorative Aggregates, Flooring, Interior Decoration
Decorative Aggregates, Interior Decoration
Exterior Uses
As Building Stone, As Facing Stone, Paving Stone
As Building Stone, As Facing Stone, Garden Decoration
Other Architectural Uses
Curbing
Curbing
Construction Industry
As Dimension Stone, Building houses or walls, Construction Aggregate, for Road Aggregate, Landscaping
As Dimension Stone, Cement Manufacture, Cobblestones, Construction Aggregate, for Road Aggregate
Antiquity Uses
Artifacts, Sculpture, Small Figurines
Artifacts, Monuments, Sculpture, Small Figurines
Commercial Uses
Creating Artwork, Jewelry, Source of corundum, tourmalines, beryls and topaz
Creating Artwork, Curling
Types
Granite Pegmatite, Gabbro Pegmatite and Diorite Pegmatite
Plagioclase Diorite and Quartz Diorite
Features
Generally rough to touch, Is one of the oldest rock, Source of corundum, tourmalines, beryls and topaz
Typically speckled black and white.
Archaeological Significance
Formation
Pegmatite rock is holocrystalline, intrusive igneous rock which is formed by partial melting and dewatering during the process of metamorphism.
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
Apatite, Beryl, Feldspar, Fluorite, Garnet, Lepidolite, Quartz, Silica, Spodumene, Topaz
Albite, Amphibole, Apatite, Biotite, Feldspar, Hornblade, Ilmenite, Magnetite, Muscovite or Illite, Olivine, Plagioclase, Pyroxene, Quartz, Sulfides, Titanite, Zircon
Compound Content
Aluminium Oxide, CaO, Iron(III) Oxide, FeO, Potassium Oxide, Magnesium Carbonate, MgO, Phosphorus Pentoxide
Silicon Dioxide
Types of Metamorphism
Burial Metamorphism, Cataclastic Metamorphism, Contact Metamorphism, Hydrothermal Metamorphism, Impact Metamorphism, Regional 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, Coastal Erosion, Glacier Erosion, Sea Erosion, Water Erosion, Wind Erosion
Chemical Erosion, Coastal Erosion, Water Erosion
Grain Size
Medium to Coarse Grained
Medium to Coarse Grained
Streak
White
Bluish Black
Porosity
Less Porous
Very Less Porous
Luster
Grainy, Pearly and Vitreous
Shiny
Specific Gravity
2.6-2.63
2.8-3
Transparency
Translucent to Opaque
Opaque
Density
2.6-2.65 g/cm3
2.8-3 g/cm3
Resistance
Heat Resistant, Impact Resistant, Pressure Resistant
Heat Resistant, Pressure Resistant, Wear Resistant
Deposits in Eastern Continents
Asia
China, India, Iran, Japan, Nepal, North Korea, Russia, Saudi Arabia, South Korea
-
Africa
South Africa
Egypt
Europe
Austria, France, Greece, Ireland, Italy, Netherlands, Slovakia, Spain, Turkey, Ukraine
Finland, Germany, Italy, Romania, Sweden, Turkey, United Kingdom
Deposits in Western Continents
South America
Brazil
Argentina, Bolivia, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru
Deposits in Oceania Continent
Australia
New South Wales, Queensland, South Australia, Western Australia
New Zealand, Western Australia
Pegmatite 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. Pegmatite vs Diorite characteristics assist us to distinguish and recognize rocks. Also you can check about Properties of Pegmatite and Properties of Diorite. Learn more about Pegmatite vs Diorite in the next section. The interior uses of Pegmatite include Decorative aggregates, Flooring and Interior decoration whereas the interior uses of Diorite include Decorative aggregates and Interior decoration. Due to some exceptional properties of Pegmatite and Diorite, they have various applications in construction industry. The uses of Pegmatite in construction industry include As dimension stone, Building houses or walls, Construction aggregate, For road aggregate, Landscaping and that of Diorite include As dimension stone, Cement manufacture, Cobblestones, Construction aggregate, For road aggregate.
More about Pegmatite and Diorite
Here you can know more about Pegmatite and Diorite. The life cycle of a rock consists of formation of rock, composition of rock and transformation of rock. The composition of Pegmatite and Diorite consists of mineral content and compound content. The mineral content of Pegmatite includes Apatite, Beryl, Feldspar, Fluorite, Garnet, Lepidolite, Quartz, Silica, Spodumene, Topaz 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 Pegmatite vs Diorite, the texture, color and appearance plays an important role in determining the type of rock. Pegmatite is available in black, brown, cream, green, grey, pink, red, rust, silver, white, yellow colors whereas, Diorite is available in black, brown, light to dark grey, white colors. Appearance of Pegmatite is Layered, Banded, Veined and Shiny and that of Diorite is Shiny. Properties of rock is another aspect for Pegmatite vs Diorite. The hardness of Pegmatite is 7 and that of Diorite is 6-7. The types of Pegmatite are Granite Pegmatite, Gabbro Pegmatite and Diorite Pegmatite whereas types of Diorite are Plagioclase Diorite and Quartz Diorite. Streak of rock is the color of powder produced when it is dragged across an unweathered surface. The streak of Pegmatite is white while that of Diorite is bluish black. The specific heat capacity of Pegmatite is 0.79 kJ/Kg K and that of Diorite is 0.84 kJ/Kg K. Depending on the properties like hardness, toughness, specific heat capacity, porosity etc., rocks are resistant to heat, wear, impact, etc.Pegmatite is heat resistant, impact resistant, pressure resistant whereas Diorite is heat resistant, pressure resistant, wear resistant.