Definition
Pyroxenite is a dark, greenish, granular intrusive igneous rock consisting mainly of pyroxenes and olivine
During the impact melted material forming a breccia containing glass and crystal or lithic fragments together form Suevite rock.
Discoverer
Unknown
Unknown
Etymology
From pyro- fire + Greek xenos stranger as the mineral group was new to igneous rocks
No etymologies found
Class
Igneous Rocks
Metamorphic 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
Clastic, Granular, Phaneritic, Porphyritic
Earthy
Color
Black to Grey, Bluish - Grey, Dark Greenish - Grey, Green, Light Greenish Grey
Black, Brown, Green, Grey, Pink
Durability
Durable
Durable
Scratch Resistant
Yes
Yes
Appearance
Layered, Banded, Veined and Shiny
Banded
Interior Uses
Countertops, Decorative Aggregates, Interior Decoration, Kitchens
Decorative Aggregates, Homes, Interior Decoration
Exterior Uses
As Building Stone, As Facing Stone
As Building Stone, As Facing Stone, Garden Decoration, Office Buildings
Other Architectural Uses
Curbing
Curbing
Construction Industry
As Dimension Stone, Building houses or walls, Cement Manufacture, Construction Aggregate, for Road Aggregate
As Dimension Stone, Cement Manufacture, for Road Aggregate, Making natural cement, Manufacture of Magnesium and Dolomite Refractories
Antiquity Uses
Artifacts
Artifacts, Monuments, Sculpture
Commercial Uses
Cemetery Markers, Commemorative Tablets, Laboratory bench tops, Jewelry, Sea Defence, Tombstones
As a Feed Additive for Livestock, Gemstone, Metallurgical Flux, Source of Magnesia (MgO)
Types
Clinopyroxenites, Orthopyroxenites and Websterites
Phyllosilicates, Calcite
Features
Generally rough to touch, Host rock for Diamond, Is one of the oldest rock
Host Rock for Lead
Archaeological Significance
Formation
Pyroxenites are ultramafic igneous rocks which are made up of minerals of the pyroxene group, such as augite and diopside, hypersthene, bronzite or enstatite.
Suevite is a metamorphic rock consisting partly of melted material, typically forming a breccia containing glass and crystal or lithic fragments, formed during an impact event.
Mineral Content
Amphibole, Augite, Bronzite, Chromite, Diopside, Enstatite, Garnet, Hornblende, Hypersthene, Magnetite, Pyroxene
Coesite, Quartz, Stishovite
Compound Content
Aluminium Oxide, CaO, Chromium(III) Oxide, Iron(III) Oxide, Potassium Oxide, MgO, Sodium Oxide, Silicon Dioxide, Sulfur Trioxide
CaO, Carbon Dioxide, MgO
Types of Metamorphism
Burial Metamorphism, Impact Metamorphism, Regional Metamorphism
Burial Metamorphism, Cataclastic Metamorphism, Contact Metamorphism, Hydrothermal Metamorphism, Impact Metamorphism, Regional Metamorphism
Types of Weathering
Biological Weathering, Chemical Weathering, Mechanical Weathering
-
Types of Erosion
Chemical Erosion, Coastal Erosion, Water Erosion
-
Grain Size
Coarse Grained
Coarse Grained
Streak
White, Greenish White or Grey
Light to dark brown
Porosity
Less Porous
Less Porous
Luster
Dull to Vitreous to Submetallic
Earthy
Specific Gravity
3.2-3.5
2.86
Transparency
Opaque
Opaque
Density
3.1-3.6 g/cm3
2.8-2.9 g/cm3
Resistance
Impact Resistant, Pressure Resistant, Wear Resistant
Heat Resistant
Deposits in Eastern Continents
Europe
Germany, Greece, Italy, Scotland, Turkey
England, France, Germany, Great Britain, Netherlands, Sweden, Switzerland, United Kingdom
Deposits in Western Continents
North America
Canada, USA
-
South America
Brazil, Colombia, Venezuela
-
Deposits in Oceania Continent
Australia
New Zealand, Queensland
-
All about Pyroxenite and Suevite Properties
Know all about Pyroxenite and Suevite properties here. All properties of rocks are important as they define the type of rock and its application. Pyroxenite belongs to Igneous Rocks while Suevite belongs to Metamorphic Rocks.Texture of Pyroxenite is Clastic, Granular, Phaneritic, Porphyritic whereas that of Suevite is Earthy. Pyroxenite appears Layered, Banded, Veined and Shiny and Suevite appears Banded. The luster of Pyroxenite is dull to vitreous to submetallic while that of Suevite is earthy. Pyroxenite is available in black to grey, bluish - grey, dark greenish - grey, green, light greenish grey colors whereas Suevite is available in black, brown, green, grey, pink colors. The commercial uses of Pyroxenite are cemetery markers, commemorative tablets, laboratory bench tops, jewelry, sea defence, tombstones and that of Suevite are as a feed additive for livestock, gemstone, metallurgical flux, source of magnesia (mgo).