igneous

Granite

Granite (Felsic Plutonic Rock)

Hardness: 6-7 on Mohs scale. Color: Grayish-white with speckled dark minerals. Luster: Dull to vitreous. Crystal structure: Phaneritic (coarse-grained). Cleavage: None (fractures irregularly). Specific gravity: 2.65 to 2.75.

Hardness: 6-7 on Mohs scale
Color: Grayish-white with speckled dark minerals
Luster: Dull to vitreous

Identified April 7, 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 magma below Earth's surface. Primarily found in continental crust, often appearing in mountain roots and batholiths dating from the Precambrian to Cenozoic eras.

Uses & applications

Extensively used in construction for countertops, floor tiles, paving stones, curbing, monuments, and as crushed stone for road base.

Geological facts

Granite makes up a large portion of the Earth's continental crust. Mount Rushmore is carved into a granite batholith. It is one of the hardest and most durable natural stones available.

Field identification & locations

Identify in the field by its interlocking coarse grains of quartz (glassy), feldspar (opaque white/pink), and mica (shiny black flakes). It is found globally in mountainous regions and shield areas.

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