igneous

Granite

Granite (Felsic Plutonic Rock)

Hardness: 6-7 (Mohs scale); Color: Typically grey, white, pink, or red with dark specks; Luster: Phaneritic (crystalline); Crystal structure: Coarse-grained granular; Cleavage: None (fractures irregularly); Specific gravity: 2.63 to 2.75

Hardness: 6-7 (Mohs scale)
Color: Typically grey, white, pink, or red with dark specks
Luster: Phaneritic (crystalline)

Identified February 1, 2026More igneous →

Identify your own rocks.

Get a report just like this from any photo, free.

App Store Google Play

Physical properties

Formation & geological history

Formed through the slow crystallization of magma below Earth's surface (intrusive). Most granite dates to the Precambrian or Paleozoic eras. It forms in batholiths and continental crust via plate tectonic convergence.

Uses & applications

Extensively used in construction for countertops, floor tiles, paving stone, monuments, and as aggregate for roads. It is valued for its durability and aesthetic variety in architecture.

Geological facts

Granite makes up the majority of the Earth's continental crust. Mount Rushmore in the USA is carved into a granite batholith. It is one of the hardest and most common rocks on the planet.

Field identification & locations

Identify by its 'salt and pepper' appearance and visible interlocking crystals of quartz, feldspar, and mica. It is found in mountain ranges globally, such as the Sierra Nevada (USA) or the Scottish Highlands. Collectors look for unique mineral inclusions like tourmaline or large feldspar phenocrysts.

Other igneous specimens

See all

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