Home
Compare Rocks


Porphyry and Breccia


Breccia and Porphyry


Definition

Definition
Porphyry is a reddish-brown to purple igneous rock containing large phenocrysts of various minerals embedded in a fine-grained matrix   
Breccia is a rock consisting of angular fragments of stones which are cemented by finer calcareous material   

History
  
  

Origin
Egypt   
England   

Discoverer
Unknown   
Unknown   

Etymology
From Old French porfire, from Italian porfiro and in some cases directly from Latin porphyrites   
From Italian, literally gravel, Germanic origin and related to break   

Class
Igneous Rocks   
Sedimentary Rocks   

Sub-Class
Durable Rock, Hard Rock   
Durable Rock, Hard Rock   

Family
  
  

Group
Plutonic   
Not Applicable   

Other Categories
Fine Grained Rock, Opaque Rock   
Coarse Grained Rock, Medium Grained Rock, Opaque Rock   

Texture

Texture
Porphyritic   
Brecciated, Clastic   

Color
Black, Brown, Colourless, Green, Grey, Red, Rust, White   
Beige, Black, Blue, Brown, Buff, Green, Grey, Orange, Pink, Purple, Red, Rust, White, Yellow   

Maintenance
Less   
Less   

Durability
Durable   
Durable   

Water Resistant
No   
Yes   

Scratch Resistant
Yes   
Yes   

Stain Resistant
Yes   
Yes   

Wind Resistant
No   
Yes   

Acid Resistant
Yes   
No   

Appearance
Dull   
Layered, Banded, Veined and Shiny   

Uses

Architecture
  
  

Interior Uses
Decorative Aggregates, Interior Decoration   
Countertops, Decorative Aggregates, Entryways, Floor Tiles, Flooring, Homes, Hotels, Interior Decoration   

Exterior Uses
Garden Decoration, Paving Stone   
As Building Stone, As Facing Stone, Paving Stone, Garden Decoration, Office Buildings   

Other Architectural Uses
Curbing   
Curbing   

Industry
  
  

Construction Industry
Construction Aggregate   
As Dimension Stone, Construction Aggregate, Landscaping, Roadstone   

Medical Industry
Not Yet Used   
Not Yet Used   

Antiquity Uses
Artifacts, Monuments, Sculpture   
Artifacts, Sculpture   

Other Uses
  
  

Commercial Uses
Creating Artwork, Gemstone, Jewelry   
Creating Artwork, Gemstone, Jewelry   

Types

Types
Rhomb Porphyry   
Collapse Breccia, Fault Breccia, Flow Breccia, Pyroclastic Breccia, Igneous Breccia and Impact Breccia   

Features
Generally rough to touch, Is one of the oldest rock, Surfaces are often shiny   
Available in Lots of Colors and Patterns, Clasts are smooth to touch   

Archaeological Significance
  
  

Monuments
Used   
Not Yet Used   

Famous Monuments
Data Not Available   
Not Applicable   

Sculpture
Used   
Used   

Famous Sculptures
Data Not Available   
Data Not Available   

Pictographs
Not Used   
Not Used   

Petroglyphs
Not Used   
Not Used   

Figurines
Used   
Used   

Fossils
Absent   
Present   

Formation

Formation
Porphyry is formed in two stages: the magma cools slowly deep within the crust or the magma is cools rapidly as it erupts from a volcano, creating small grains that are usually invisible to naked eye.   
Breccia is a clastic sedimentary rock which is composed of broken fragments of minerals or rock which are cemented together by a fine-grained matrix and it forms where broken, angular fragments of rock or mineral debris accumulate.   

Composition
  
  

Mineral Content
Biotite, Chert, Feldspar, Garnet, Graphite, Quartz, Silica   
Calcite, Clay, Feldspar, Phosphates, Quartz, Silica   

Compound Content
Aluminium Oxide, CaO, Iron(III) Oxide, Potassium Oxide, MgO, Sodium Oxide, Silicon Dioxide, Titanium Dioxide   
Aluminium Oxide, Ca, NaCl, CaO, Iron(III) Oxide, Potassium Oxide, Sodium Oxide, Silicon Dioxide, Titanium Dioxide   

Transformation
  
  

Metamorphism
Yes   
Yes   

Types of Metamorphism
Burial Metamorphism, Cataclastic Metamorphism, Contact Metamorphism, Hydrothermal Metamorphism, Impact Metamorphism, Regional Metamorphism   
Burial Metamorphism, Cataclastic Metamorphism   

Weathering
Yes   
Yes   

Types of Weathering
Biological Weathering, Chemical Weathering, Not Registered   
Biological Weathering, Chemical Weathering, Mechanical Weathering   

Erosion
Yes   
Yes   

Types of Erosion
Chemical Erosion, Coastal Erosion, Glacier Erosion   
Chemical Erosion   

Properties

Physical Properties
  
  

Hardness
6-7   
7   

Grain Size
Fine Grained   
Medium to Coarse Grained   

Fracture
Irregular   
Uneven   

Streak
White   
White   

Porosity
Less Porous   
Less Porous   

Luster
Dull   
Dull to Pearly   

Cleavage
Imperfect   
Non-Existent   

Toughness
1.7   
Not Available   

Specific Gravity
2.5-4   
2.86-2.87   

Transparency
Translucent to Opaque   
Opaque   

Density
2.5-2.52 g/cm3   
0 g/cm3   

Thermal Properties
  
  

Resistance
Heat Resistant, Impact Resistant   
Heat Resistant, Impact Resistant, Pressure Resistant, Wear Resistant   

Reserves

Deposits in Eastern Continents
  
  

Asia
China, Kazakhstan, South Korea, Thailand, Turkey, Vietnam   
China, India, Kazakhstan, Mongolia, Russia, South Korea, Uzbekistan   

Africa
Egypt, Ethiopia, Ghana, South Africa   
Namibia, Nigeria, South Africa   

Europe
Finland, France, Germany, Great Britain, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Netherlands, Norway, Romania, Sweden, Switzerland   
Austria, Denmark, Germany, Great Britain, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Sweden, Switzerland, United Kingdom   

Others
Greenland   
Greenland   

Deposits in Western Continents
  
  

North America
Canada, Cuba, Jamaica, USA   
Barbados, Canada, Mexico, Panama, USA   

South America
Bolivia, Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador, Paraguay   
Brazil   

Deposits in Oceania Continent
  
  

Australia
New South Wales, New Zealand, Western Australia   
New South Wales, New Zealand   

Summary >>
<< Reserves

All about Porphyry and Breccia Properties

Know all about Porphyry and Breccia properties here. All properties of rocks are important as they define the type of rock and its application. Porphyry belongs to Igneous Rocks while Breccia belongs to Sedimentary Rocks.Texture of Porphyry is Porphyritic whereas that of Breccia is Brecciated, Clastic. Porphyry appears Dull and Breccia appears Layered, Banded, Veined and Shiny. The luster of Porphyry is dull while that of Breccia is dull to pearly. Porphyry is available in black, brown, colourless, green, grey, red, rust, white colors whereas Breccia is available in beige, black, blue, brown, buff, green, grey, orange, pink, purple, red, rust, white, yellow colors. The commercial uses of Porphyry and Breccia are creating artwork, gemstone, jewelry.

Compare Igneous Rocks

Igneous Rocks

Igneous Rocks

» More Igneous Rocks

Compare Igneous Rocks

» More Compare Igneous Rocks