igneous
Granite (Unakite / Pink Feldspar Granite)
Granite (Plutonic Igneous Rock)
Hardness around 6 to 7 on the Mohs scale. Exhibits a coarse-grained phaneritic texture with pink/orange-red orthoclase feldspar, grey quartz, and dark biotite or amphibole (or epidote in unakite variety). Dull to vitreous luster depending on polish.
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Physical properties
Hardness around 6 to 7 on the Mohs scale. Exhibits a coarse-grained phaneritic texture with pink/orange-red orthoclase feldspar, grey quartz, and dark biotite or amphibole (or epidote in unakite variety). Dull to vitreous luster depending on polish.
Formation & geological history
Formed from the slow cooling and crystallization of silica-rich magma deep within the Earth's crust (plutonic environment). Typically Precambrian to Phanerozoic in age.
Uses & applications
Widely used as building stone, countertop material, architectural aggregate, and small polished pebbles/tumbles for lapidary and gemstone collections.
Geological facts
Granite makes up a large portion of the Earth's continental crust. Pink to red varieties get their distinct hue from potassium-rich orthoclase feldspar.
Field identification & locations
Identified by its mottled coarse-grained texture containing distinct pink feldspar and greyish glassy quartz grains. Commonly found in continental shield areas and mountain cores worldwide.
