Definition
Porphyry is a reddish-brown to purple igneous rock containing large phenocrysts of various minerals embedded in a fine-grained matrix
Tephrite is an aphanitic to porphyritic textured, volcanic igneous rock
Discoverer
Unknown
Van Tooren
Etymology
From Old French porfire, from Italian porfiro and in some cases directly from Latin porphyrites
From Greek tephra, ashes from Indo-European base, to burn
Class
Igneous Rocks
Igneous Rocks
Sub-Class
Durable Rock, Hard Rock
Durable Rock, Hard Rock
Other Categories
Fine Grained Rock, Opaque Rock
Coarse Grained Rock, Fine Grained Rock, Medium Grained Rock, Opaque Rock
Texture
Porphyritic
Aphanitic to Porphyritic
Color
Black, Brown, Colourless, Green, Grey, Red, Rust, White
Black, Brown, Colourless, Green, Grey, White
Durability
Durable
Durable
Scratch Resistant
Yes
Yes
Appearance
Dull
Vesicular
Interior Uses
Decorative Aggregates, Interior Decoration
Decorative Aggregates, Flooring, Homes, Interior Decoration
Exterior Uses
Garden Decoration, Paving Stone
As Building Stone, As Facing Stone, Garden Decoration, Office Buildings
Other Architectural Uses
Curbing
Curbing
Construction Industry
Construction Aggregate
Landscaping
Medical Industry
Not Yet Used
Not Yet Used
Antiquity Uses
Artifacts, Monuments, Sculpture
Artifacts, Sculpture
Commercial Uses
Creating Artwork, Gemstone, Jewelry
Production of Lime, Soil Conditioner
Types
Rhomb Porphyry
Not Available
Features
Generally rough to touch, Is one of the oldest rock, Surfaces are often shiny
Host Rock for Lead
Archaeological Significance
Monuments
Used
Not Yet Used
Famous Monuments
Data Not Available
Not Applicable
Famous Sculptures
Data Not Available
Data Not Available
Pictographs
Not Used
Not Used
Petroglyphs
Not Used
Not Used
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.
Tephrite 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
Biotite, Chert, Feldspar, Garnet, Graphite, Quartz, Silica
Alkali feldspar, Nepheline, Plagioclase, Pyroxene
Compound Content
Aluminium Oxide, CaO, Iron(III) Oxide, Potassium Oxide, MgO, Sodium Oxide, Silicon Dioxide, Titanium Dioxide
CaO, Carbon Dioxide, MgO, Silicon Dioxide
Types of Metamorphism
Burial Metamorphism, Cataclastic Metamorphism, Contact Metamorphism, Hydrothermal Metamorphism, Impact Metamorphism, Regional Metamorphism
Cataclastic Metamorphism, Contact Metamorphism, Impact Metamorphism, Regional Metamorphism
Types of Weathering
Biological Weathering, Chemical Weathering, Not Registered
Biological Weathering, Chemical Weathering, Mechanical Weathering
Types of Erosion
Chemical Erosion, Coastal Erosion, Glacier Erosion
Chemical Erosion, Coastal Erosion, Glacier Erosion, Sea Erosion, Water Erosion
Grain Size
Fine Grained
Medium to Fine Coarse Grained
Fracture
Irregular
Uneven
Streak
White
Bluish Black
Porosity
Less Porous
Very Less Porous
Luster
Dull
Subvitreous to Dull
Compressive Strength
Not Available
Cleavage
Imperfect
Crenulation and Pervasive
Specific Gravity
2.5-4
2.86
Transparency
Translucent to Opaque
Opaque
Density
2.5-2.52 g/cm3
2.8-2.9 g/cm3
Specific Heat Capacity
Not Available
Resistance
Heat Resistant, Impact Resistant
Heat Resistant, Impact Resistant
Deposits in Eastern Continents
Asia
China, Kazakhstan, South Korea, Thailand, Turkey, Vietnam
Not Yet Found
Africa
Egypt, Ethiopia, Ghana, South Africa
Namibia, Uganda
Europe
Finland, France, Germany, Great Britain, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Netherlands, Norway, Romania, Sweden, Switzerland
Germany, Hungary, Italy, Portugal, Spain
Others
Greenland
Not Yet Found
Deposits in Western Continents
North America
Canada, Cuba, Jamaica, USA
USA
South America
Bolivia, Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador, Paraguay
Not Yet Found
Deposits in Oceania Continent
Australia
New South Wales, New Zealand, Western Australia
New Zealand, Western Australia
Porphyry vs Tephrite 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. Porphyry vs Tephrite characteristics assist us to distinguish and recognize rocks. Also you can check about Properties of Porphyry and Properties of Tephrite. Learn more about Porphyry vs Tephrite in the next section. The interior uses of Porphyry include Decorative aggregates and Interior decoration whereas the interior uses of Tephrite include Decorative aggregates, Flooring, Homes and Interior decoration. Due to some exceptional properties of Porphyry and Tephrite, they have various applications in construction industry. The uses of Porphyry in construction industry include Construction aggregate and that of Tephrite include Landscaping.
More about Porphyry and Tephrite
Here you can know more about Porphyry and Tephrite. The life cycle of a rock consists of formation of rock, composition of rock and transformation of rock. The composition of Porphyry and Tephrite consists of mineral content and compound content. The mineral content of Porphyry includes Biotite, Chert, Feldspar, Garnet, Graphite, Quartz, Silica and mineral content of Tephrite includes Alkali feldspar, Nepheline, Plagioclase, Pyroxene. You can also check out the list of all Igneous Rocks. When we have to compare Porphyry vs Tephrite, the texture, color and appearance plays an important role in determining the type of rock. Porphyry is available in black, brown, colourless, green, grey, red, rust, white colors whereas, Tephrite is available in black, brown, colourless, green, grey, white colors. Appearance of Porphyry is Dull and that of Tephrite is Vesicular. Properties of rock is another aspect for Porphyry vs Tephrite. The hardness of Porphyry is 6-7 and that of Tephrite is 6.5. The types of Porphyry are Rhomb Porphyry whereas types of Tephrite are Not Available. Streak of rock is the color of powder produced when it is dragged across an unweathered surface. The streak of Porphyry is white while that of Tephrite is bluish black. The specific heat capacity of Porphyry is Not Available and that of Tephrite is 0.92 kJ/Kg K. Depending on the properties like hardness, toughness, specific heat capacity, porosity etc., rocks are resistant to heat, wear, impact, etc.Porphyry is heat resistant, impact resistant whereas Tephrite is heat resistant, impact resistant.