igneous

Granite

Granite (Felsic Plutonic Rock)

Hardness: 6-7 (Mohs scale), Color: Pinkish-gray with black specks, Luster: Vitreous to dull, Crystal structure: Phaneritic (coarse-grained), Cleavage: None (though constituent minerals have cleavage), Specific gravity: 2.63-2.75

Identified June 3, 2026More igneous →

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Physical properties

Formation & geological history

Formed through the slow crystallization of magma below Earth's surface. It is a plutonic rock found in continental crust and of varying geological ages from Precambrian to recent.

Uses & applications

Widely used in construction for countertops, floor tiles, paving stones, curbing, and monuments. Higher quality specimens are used for ornamental purposes and Gravestones.

Geological facts

Granite makes up a large portion of the Earth's continental crust. Mount Rushmore is carved into a granite batholith in South Dakota.

Field identification & locations

Identify in the field by its coarse-grained texture and interlocking crystals of light-colored minerals (quartz and feldspar) and dark minerals (biotite or hornblende). Found in continental massifs.

Other igneous specimens

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Granite

Igneous

Granite

Igneous

Blue Apatite

Fluorapatite (Ca5(PO4)3F)

mineral

Dalmatian Jasper

Aplite with Arfvedsonite inclusions

igneous

Magnetite

Iron(II,III) oxide (Fe3O4)

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