Granite

Hardness: 6-7, Color: Light-colored with dark speckles (salt and pepper appearance), Luster: Vitreous to dull, Crystal structure: Phaneritic (coarse-grained)

Intrusive igneous rock formed from the slow cooling of magma deep underground. Very common in continental crust.

Widely used as a dimension stone for countertops, flooring, monuments, and building cladding. Crushed for use as aggregate in construction.

Granite is the most common intrusive rock in Earth's continental crust. Yosemite's Half Dome is a famous granite formation.

Identified by its visible interlocking crystals of quartz, feldspar, and mica. Found globally in mountainous regions and continental shields. Good for beginners to practice identifying constituent minerals.