igneous

Granite

Granite (Felsic Plutonic Rock)

Hardness: 6-7 on Mohs scale; Color: typically mottled pink, white, gray, and black; Luster: vitreous to dull; Crystal structure: phaneritic (coarse-grained); Cleavage: none (irregular fracture); Specific gravity: 2.63 to 2.75.

Hardness: 6-7 on Mohs scale
Color: typically mottled pink, white, gray, and black
Luster: vitreous to dull

Identified March 25, 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 from the slow crystallization of silica-rich magma below the Earth's surface in batholiths. Can range in age from billions of years old to relatively recent Cenozoic formations.

Uses & applications

Extensively used in construction for countertops, floor tiles, paving stones, and monuments. Also used as crushed stone/aggregate for road base and railroad ballast.

Geological facts

Granite makes up a significant portion of the Earth's continental crust. Famous peaks like Yosemite's Half Dome and Mount Rushmore are carved into massive granite formations.

Field identification & locations

Identify in the field by its visible interlocking crystals of quartz (clear/gray), feldspar (white/pink), and mica (shiny black/silver flakes). Found globally in mountainous regions and shield areas like the Canadian Shield.

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