Definition
Diorite is a grey to dark-grey intermediate intrusive igneous rock composed principally of plagioclase feldspar,biotite, hornblende, and pyroxene
Obsidian is a naturally occurring volcanic glass formed as an extrusive igneous rock. It is produced when felsic lava extruded from a volcano cools rapidly with minimum crystal growth
Discoverer
Unknown
Obsius
Etymology
From early 19th century coined in French, formed irregularly from Greek diorizein distinguish
From Latin obsidianus, misprint of Obsianus (lapis) (stone) of Obsius
Class
Igneous Rocks
Igneous Rocks
Sub-Class
Durable Rock, Hard Rock
Durable Rock, Medium Hardness Rock
Other Categories
Coarse Grained Rock, Medium Grained Rock, Opaque Rock
Opaque Rock
Texture
Phaneritic
Glassy
Color
Black, Brown, Light to Dark Grey, White
Black, Blue, Brown, Green, Orange, Red, Tan, Yellow
Durability
Durable
Durable
Interior Uses
Decorative Aggregates, Interior Decoration
Decorative Aggregates, Interior Decoration
Exterior Uses
As Building Stone, As Facing Stone, Garden Decoration
Garden Decoration
Other Architectural Uses
Curbing
Not Yet Used
Construction Industry
As Dimension Stone, Cement Manufacture, Cobblestones, Construction Aggregate, for Road Aggregate
Arrowheads, Cutting Tool, Knives, Scrapers, Spear Points
Medical Industry
Not Yet Used
Surgery
Antiquity Uses
Artifacts, Monuments, Sculpture, Small Figurines
Artifacts, Jewellery
Commercial Uses
Creating Artwork, Curling
Creating Artwork, Mirror, Used in aquariums
Types
Not Available
Fireworks Obsidian, Mahogany, Sheen Obsidian, Snowflake obsidian and Velvet Peacock Obsidian
Features
Typically speckled black and white.
Blocks negativity, Helps to protect against depression
Archaeological Significance
Monuments
Used
Not Yet Used
Famous Monuments
Data Not Available
Not Applicable
Sculpture
Used
Not Yet Used
Famous Sculptures
Data Not Available
Not Applicable
Pictographs
Not Used
Used
Petroglyphs
Not Used
Used
Figurines
Used
Not Yet Used
Formation
Diorite is a coarse-grained intrusive igneous rock which contains large interlocking and randomly oriented crystals and forms when molten lava does not reach the Earth’s surface and cools down in the Earth’s crust.
When the lava is released from volcano, it undergoes a very rapid cooling which freezes the mechanisms of crystallization. The result is a volcanic glass with a uniform smooth texture.
Mineral Content
Albite, Amphibole, Apatite, Biotite, Feldspar, Hornblade, Ilmenite, Magnetite, Muscovite or Illite, Olivine, Plagioclase, Pyroxene, Quartz, Sulfides, Titanite, Zircon
Not Available
Compound Content
Silicon Dioxide
Aluminium Oxide, CaO, Iron(III) Oxide, FeO, Potassium Oxide, MgO, MnO, Sodium Oxide, Phosphorus Pentoxide, Silicon Dioxide, Titanium Dioxide
Types of Metamorphism
Cataclastic Metamorphism, Contact Metamorphism, Regional Metamorphism
Burial Metamorphism, Cataclastic Metamorphism, Contact Metamorphism
Types of Weathering
Biological Weathering, Chemical Weathering, Mechanical Weathering
Biological Weathering, Chemical Weathering, Mechanical Weathering
Types of Erosion
Chemical Erosion, Coastal Erosion, Water Erosion
Chemical Erosion, Coastal Erosion, Glacier Erosion
Grain Size
Medium to Coarse Grained
Not Applicable
Fracture
Not Available
Conchoidal
Streak
Bluish Black
White
Porosity
Very Less Porous
Very Less Porous
Cleavage
Not Available
Non-Existent
Toughness
2.1
Not Available
Specific Gravity
2.8-3
2.6-2.7
Transparency
Opaque
Translucent
Density
2.8-3 g/cm3
2.6 g/cm3
Specific Heat Capacity
Not Available
Resistance
Heat Resistant, Pressure Resistant, Wear Resistant
Heat Resistant, Impact Resistant
Deposits in Eastern Continents
Asia
Not Yet Found
Afghanistan, Indonesia, Japan, Russia
Europe
Finland, Germany, Italy, Romania, Sweden, Turkey, United Kingdom
Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Italy, Turkey
Others
Not Yet Found
Not Yet Found
Deposits in Western Continents
North America
USA
Canada, Mexico, USA
South America
Argentina, Bolivia, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru
Argentina, Chile, Ecuador, Peru
Deposits in Oceania Continent
Australia
New Zealand, Western Australia
New Zealand
Diorite vs Obsidian 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. Diorite vs Obsidian characteristics assist us to distinguish and recognize rocks. Also you can check about Properties of Diorite and Properties of Obsidian. Learn more about Diorite vs Obsidian in the next section. The interior uses of Diorite include Decorative aggregates and Interior decoration whereas the interior uses of Obsidian include Decorative aggregates and Interior decoration. Due to some exceptional properties of Diorite and Obsidian, they have various applications in construction industry. The uses of Diorite in construction industry include As dimension stone, Cement manufacture, Cobblestones, Construction aggregate, For road aggregate and that of Obsidian include Arrowheads, Cutting tool, Knives, Scrapers, Spear points.
More about Diorite and Obsidian
Here you can know more about Diorite and Obsidian. The life cycle of a rock consists of formation of rock, composition of rock and transformation of rock. The composition of Diorite and Obsidian consists of mineral content and compound content. The mineral content of Diorite includes Albite, Amphibole, Apatite, Biotite, Feldspar, Hornblade, Ilmenite, Magnetite, Muscovite or Illite, Olivine, Plagioclase, Pyroxene, Quartz, Sulfides, Titanite, Zircon and mineral content of Obsidian is not available. You can also check out the list of all Igneous Rocks. When we have to compare Diorite vs Obsidian, the texture, color and appearance plays an important role in determining the type of rock. Diorite is available in black, brown, light to dark grey, white colors whereas, Obsidian is available in black, blue, brown, green, orange, red, tan, yellow colors. Appearance of Diorite is Shiny and that of Obsidian is Shiny. Properties of rock is another aspect for Diorite vs Obsidian. The hardness of Diorite is 6-7 and that of Obsidian is 5-5.5. The types of Diorite are Not Available whereas types of Obsidian are Fireworks Obsidian, Mahogany, Sheen Obsidian, Snowflake obsidian and Velvet Peacock Obsidian. Streak of rock is the color of powder produced when it is dragged across an unweathered surface. The streak of Diorite is bluish black while that of Obsidian is white. The specific heat capacity of Diorite is Not Available and that of Obsidian 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.Diorite is heat resistant, pressure resistant, wear resistant whereas Obsidian is heat resistant, impact resistant.
