Definition
Origin
Discoverer
Etymology
Class
Sub-Class
Group
Other Categories
Texture
Color
Maintenance
Durability
Water Resistant
Scratch Resistant
Stain Resistant
Wind Resistant
Acid Resistant
Appearance
Interior Uses
Exterior Uses
Other Architectural Uses
Construction Industry
Medical Industry
Antiquity Uses
Commercial Uses
Types
Features
Monuments
Famous Monuments
Sculpture
Famous Sculptures
Pictographs
Petroglyphs
Figurines
Fossils
Formation
Mineral Content
Compound Content
Metamorphism
Types of Metamorphism
Weathering
Types of Weathering
Erosion
Types of Erosion
Hardness
Grain Size
Fracture
Streak
Porosity
Luster
Compressive Strength
Cleavage
Toughness
Specific Gravity
Transparency
Density
Specific Heat Capacity
Resistance
Asia
Africa
Europe
Others
North America
South America
Australia
Porphyry is a reddish-brown to purple igneous rock containing large phenocrysts of various minerals embedded in a fine-grained matrix
From Old French porfire, from Italian porfiro and in some cases directly from Latin porphyrites
Fine Grained Rock, Opaque Rock
Black, Brown, Green, Grey, Red, Rust, White
Decorative Aggregates, Interior Decoration
Garden Decoration, Paving Stone
Artifacts, Monuments, Sculpture
Creating Artwork, Gemstone, Jewelry
Generally rough to touch, Is one of the oldest rock, Surfaces are often shiny
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.
Biotite, Chert, Feldspar, Garnet, Graphite, Quartz, Silica
Aluminium Oxide, CaO, Iron(III) Oxide, Potassium Oxide, MgO, Sodium Oxide, Silicon Dioxide, Titanium Dioxide
Burial Metamorphism, Cataclastic Metamorphism, Contact Metamorphism, Hydrothermal Metamorphism, Impact Metamorphism, Regional Metamorphism
Biological Weathering, Chemical Weathering
Chemical Erosion, Coastal Erosion, Glacier Erosion
Heat Resistant, Impact Resistant
China, Kazakhstan, South Korea, Thailand, Turkey, Vietnam
Egypt, Ethiopia, Ghana, South Africa
Finland, France, Germany, Great Britain, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Netherlands, Norway, Romania, Sweden, Switzerland
Canada, Cuba, Jamaica, USA
Bolivia, Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador, Paraguay
New South Wales, New Zealand, Western Australia
It is a metamorphic magnesium rich rock because it is composed of the mineral talc
From 17th century, because of its greasy feel and use like a soap
Fine Grained Rock, Opaque Rock
Black, Black to Grey, Green, Grey
Dull, Banded and Foilated
Bathrooms, Decorative Aggregates, Homes, Interior Decoration
As Facing Stone, Garden Decoration
Manufacture of Magnesium and Dolomite Refractories
Taken as a Supplement for Calcium or Magnesium
Artifacts, Jewellery, Monuments, Sculpture
Cemetery Markers, Creating Artwork, Gemstone, Jewelry, Manufacture of Soap, Solvents, Dyes, Plastics and Fibres, Production of Lime, Source of Magnesia (MgO)
Christ the Redeemer in Rio de Janeiro, Stonehenge in English county of Wiltshire
Soapstone is a talc-schist, which is a type of metamorphic rock and it is largely composed of the mineral talc and is thus rich inmagnesium.
Albite, Apatite, Biotite, Calcite, Carbonate, Clay Minerals, Hornblende, Ilmenite, Micas, Plagioclase, Pyroxene, Quartz
Burial Metamorphism, Cataclastic Metamorphism, Contact Metamorphism, Hydrothermal Metamorphism, Impact Metamorphism, Regional Metamorphism
Heat Resistant, Pressure Resistant
China, India, Indonesia, Japan, North Korea, Russia, Saudi Arabia, Singapore, South Korea, Sri Lanka, Tajikistan, Thailand
Egypt, Ethiopia, Ghana, South Africa, Western Africa
Austria, England, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, United Kingdom
Central Australia, New Zealand, Queensland