igneous

Granite

Felsic Intrusive Igneous Rock

Hardness: 6-7 on the Mohs scale. Color: typically white, pink, or gray with visible darker grains. Luster: Vitreous to dull. Crystal structure: Phaneritic (coarse-grained). Cleavage: None (conchoidal fracture on quartz, distinct on feldspar). Specific gravity: 2.63 - 2.75.

Hardness: 6-7 on the Mohs scale
Color: typically white, pink, or gray with visible darker grains
Luster: Vitreous to dull

Identified March 30, 2026More igneous →

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Physical properties

Formation & geological history

Formed from the slow subterranean cooling of silica-rich magma (felsic). It can vary in age from millions to billions of years, often found in the continental crust and mountain ranges.

Uses & applications

Extensively used in construction for countertops, floor tiles, paving stones, and memorial monuments. It is also used as crushed stone for road base and railroad ballast.

Geological facts

Granite makes up a large portion of the Earth's continental crust. Famous peaks like Yosemite's Half Dome and the peaks of the Mont Blanc massif are composed of granite.

Field identification & locations

Identify by its interlocking 'salt and pepper' crystalline texture consisting of quartz (translucent), feldspar (pink/white), and mica (black flakes). Found globally in mountainous regions and glacial deposits as boulders.

Other igneous specimens

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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