igneous
Granite Pebble
Granite
AI-generated identification · may be incorrectHardness: 6-7 on Mohs scale; Color: mottled grayish-pink, pale greenish, and white with dark flecks; Luster: vitreous to dull; Texture: phaneritic, granular, water-worn and smoothed; Specific gravity: ~2.65 - 2.75
- Hardness
- 6-7 on Mohs scale
- Luster
- vitreous to dull
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Physical properties
Hardness: 6-7 on Mohs scale; Color: mottled grayish-pink, pale greenish, and white with dark flecks; Luster: vitreous to dull; Texture: phaneritic, granular, water-worn and smoothed; Specific gravity: ~2.65 - 2.75
Formation & geological history
Formed through the slow crystallization of silica-rich felsic magma deep beneath the Earth's crust (plutonic igneous rock), later brought to the surface through tectonic uplift and rounded by natural water erosion in a stream, river, or coastal environment.
Uses & applications
In larger forms widely used as architectural dimension stone, countertops, curbstones, and crushed stone aggregate. Small water-worn pebbles are commonly used in landscaping, river rock paving, aquariums, and rock tumbling.
Geological facts
Granite makes up the major portion of the Earth's continental crust. Over long periods, river transport gradually tumbles angular chunks of granite against one another, rounding their edges into smooth river pebbles like this one.
Field identification & locations
Identifiable by its granular, interlocking crystals of quartz (clear/gray), feldspar (pink/white/pale green), and minor dark minerals (biotite/hornblende). Very common along riverbeds, beaches, and glacial gravel deposits globally.
