igneous

Granite

Phaneritic Plutonic Igneous Rock

Hardness: 6-7 on Mohs scale. Color: Pinkish-orange (potassium feldspar), white (plagioclase), translucent (quartz), and black (biotite mica). Luster: Vitreous to pearly. Crystal structure: Phaneritic (visible crystals).

Hardness: 6-7 on Mohs scale
Luster: Vitreous to pearly

Identified April 4, 2026More igneous →

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Physical properties

Formation & geological history

Formed by the slow cooling of silica-rich magma deep within the Earth's crust (plutonic). Found in continental plates and mountain ranges, dating from the Precambrian to Cenozoic eras.

Uses & applications

Major construction material, countertops, floor tiles, monument stone (gravestones), and crushed stone for road aggregate.

Geological facts

Granite makes up a large part of the continental crust. Half Dome in Yosemite National Park is a famous example of a massive granite batholith.

Field identification & locations

Identify by its interlocking 'salt and pepper' or multicrystalline texture and presence of translucent quartz. Commonly found in mountainous regions or where glacial erosion has exposed the bedrock.

Other igneous specimens

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Blue Apatite

Fluorapatite (Ca5(PO4)3F)

mineral

Dark Igneous Rock (Likely Basalt or Diabase)

Basalt (extrusive igneous rock) or Diabase (intrusive igneous rock - also known as Dolerite), largely composed of plagioclase feldspar, pyroxene (augite), and sometimes olivine and amphibole. Exact mineralogy would require thin section analysis.

Igneous