Definition
Pegmatite rock is a holocrystalline, intrusive igneous rock which is composed of interlocking phaneritic crystals
Wehrlite is an ultramafic and ultrabasic rock that is a mixture of olivine and clinopyroxene. It is a subdivision of the peridotites
Discoverer
R. J. Hauy
Alois Wehrle
Etymology
From Greek pegma, pegmat which means- thing joined together + -ite
From the name of a professor, Alois Wehrle
Class
Igneous Rocks
Igneous Rocks
Sub-Class
Durable Rock, Hard Rock
Durable Rock, Medium Hardness Rock
Other Categories
Coarse Grained Rock, Opaque Rock
Coarse Grained Rock, Opaque Rock
Texture
Pegmatitic
Banded
Color
Black, Brown, Cream, Green, Grey, Pink, Red, Rust, Silver, White, Yellow
Dark Greenish - Grey, Green
Durability
Durable
Durable
Scratch Resistant
Yes
Yes
Appearance
Layered, Banded, Veined and Shiny
Rough and Banded
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, Paving Stone
Other Architectural Uses
Curbing
Curbing
Construction Industry
As Dimension Stone, Building houses or walls, Construction Aggregate, for Road Aggregate, Landscaping
As Dimension Stone, Cobblestones
Antiquity Uses
Artifacts, Sculpture, Small Figurines
Artifacts, Monuments, Sculpture, Small Figurines
Commercial Uses
Creating Artwork, Jewelry, Source of corundum, tourmalines, beryls and topaz
Cemetery Markers, Creating Artwork, Gemstone, Jewelry
Types
Granite Pegmatite, Gabbro Pegmatite and Diorite Pegmatite
Ultramafic rock
Features
Generally rough to touch, Is one of the oldest rock, Source of corundum, tourmalines, beryls and topaz
Constitutes upper part of the Earth's mantle, Generally rough to touch, Is one of the oldest rock
Archaeological Significance
Formation
Pegmatite rock is holocrystalline, intrusive igneous rock which is formed by partial melting and dewatering during the process of metamorphism.
Wehrlite 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
Apatite, Beryl, Feldspar, Fluorite, Garnet, Lepidolite, Quartz, Silica, Spodumene, Topaz
Pyroxene
Compound Content
Aluminium Oxide, CaO, Iron(III) Oxide, FeO, Potassium Oxide, Magnesium Carbonate, MgO, Phosphorus Pentoxide
Aluminium Oxide, CaO, Carbon Dioxide, Iron(III) Oxide, FeO, Potassium Oxide, MgO, Sodium Oxide, Phosphorus Pentoxide, Silicon Dioxide, Titanium Dioxide
Types of Metamorphism
Burial Metamorphism, Cataclastic Metamorphism, Contact Metamorphism, Hydrothermal Metamorphism, Impact Metamorphism, Regional Metamorphism
Burial Metamorphism, Cataclastic Metamorphism, Contact Metamorphism, Impact 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
Coarse Grained
Fracture
Conchoidal
Irregular
Porosity
Less Porous
Less Porous
Luster
Grainy, Pearly and Vitreous
Metallic
Specific Gravity
2.6-2.63
8.4
Transparency
Translucent to Opaque
Opaque
Density
2.6-2.65 g/cm3
2.6-3.7 g/cm3
Resistance
Heat Resistant, Impact Resistant, Pressure Resistant
Heat Resistant, Impact Resistant, Pressure Resistant
Deposits in Eastern Continents
Asia
China, India, Iran, Japan, Nepal, North Korea, Russia, Saudi Arabia, South Korea
China, India, Indonesia, Kazakhstan, Russia, South Korea, Thailand, Turkey
Africa
South Africa
Morocco, South Africa
Europe
Austria, France, Greece, Ireland, Italy, Netherlands, Slovakia, Spain, Turkey, Ukraine
Finland, France, Georgia, Germany, Great Britain, Italy, Kazakhstan, Netherlands, Norway, Spain, Switzerland
Deposits in Western Continents
North America
Canada
Canada, USA
South America
Brazil
Brazil
Deposits in Oceania Continent
Australia
New South Wales, Queensland, South Australia, Western Australia
New Zealand, Western Australia
Pegmatite vs Wehrlite 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 Wehrlite characteristics assist us to distinguish and recognize rocks. Also you can check about Properties of Pegmatite and Properties of Wehrlite. Learn more about Pegmatite vs Wehrlite in the next section. The interior uses of Pegmatite include Decorative aggregates, Flooring and Interior decoration whereas the interior uses of Wehrlite include Decorative aggregates and Interior decoration. Due to some exceptional properties of Pegmatite and Wehrlite, 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 Wehrlite include As dimension stone, Cobblestones.
More about Pegmatite and Wehrlite
Here you can know more about Pegmatite and Wehrlite. The life cycle of a rock consists of formation of rock, composition of rock and transformation of rock. The composition of Pegmatite and Wehrlite 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 Wehrlite includes Pyroxene. You can also check out the list of all Igneous Rocks. When we have to compare Pegmatite vs Wehrlite, 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, Wehrlite is available in dark greenish - grey, green colors. Appearance of Pegmatite is Layered, Banded, Veined and Shiny and that of Wehrlite is Rough and Banded. Properties of rock is another aspect for Pegmatite vs Wehrlite. The hardness of Pegmatite is 7 and that of Wehrlite is 5.5-6. The types of Pegmatite are Granite Pegmatite, Gabbro Pegmatite and Diorite Pegmatite whereas types of Wehrlite are Ultramafic rock. Streak of rock is the color of powder produced when it is dragged across an unweathered surface. The streak of Pegmatite and Wehrlite is white. The specific heat capacity of Pegmatite is 0.79 kJ/Kg K and that of Wehrlite is 0.63 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 Wehrlite is heat resistant, impact resistant, pressure resistant.