igneous

Granite

Felsic Intrusive Igneous Rock

Hardness: 6-7 (Mohs scale); Color: Salt-and-pepper (white, gray, pink, and black); Luster: Vitreous to dull; Crystal structure: Phaneritic (coarse-grained visible crystals); Cleavage: Individual minerals (mica/feldspar) have cleavage, but the rock itself has none; Specific gravity: 2.63 - 2.75

Hardness: 6-7 (Mohs scale)
Color: Salt-and-pepper (white, gray, pink, and black)
Luster: Vitreous to dull

Identified March 16, 2026More igneous →

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Physical properties

Formation & geological history

Formed through the slow crystallization of magma below Earth's surface (plutonic). It can range in age from billions of years old to relatively recent geological time as long as the magma had time to cool slowly underground.

Uses & applications

Used extensively in construction for countertops, floor tiles, paving stones, and curbing. It is also used for cemetery monuments, bridges, and as crushed stone for road base.

Geological facts

Granite makes up the majority of the Earth's continental crust. Mount Everest's summit is unique, but much of the Himalayan range is composed of leucogranite. It is one of the hardest and most durable natural stones available.

Field identification & locations

Identify in the field by its speckled 'salt and pepper' appearance and visible interlocking crystals of quartz, feldspar, and mica. It is found in massive plutons called batholiths. Collectors should look for rare colors or large, well-formed accessory crystals like garnet or tourmaline within the matrix.

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