igneous

Granite

Phaneritic Igneous Rock (Granite)

Hardness: 6-7 on Mohs scale. Color: Salt-and-pepper (white, grey, black). Luster: Dull to vitreous. Crystal Structure: Phaneritic (coarse-grained). Cleavage: None (fractures). Specific gravity: 2.63 - 2.75.

Hardness: 6-7 on Mohs scale
Color: Salt-and-pepper (white, grey, black)
Luster: Dull to vitreous

Identified April 9, 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 (intrusive). Most granites are Precambrian to Cenozoic in age, found in continental crust and mountain belts.

Uses & applications

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

Geological facts

Granite makes up a large part 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.

Field identification & locations

Identify by its interlocking 'salt-and-pepper' mineral grains (quartz, feldspar, and biotite). Commonly found in continental shields and mountain ranges. No special equipment needed; identifiable by eye.

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