igneous

Venetian Gold Granite

Phaneritic Felsic Igneous Rock (Granite)

Hardness: 6-7 on Mohs scale; Color: Cream, gold, and tan base with garnet flecks and black biotite; Luster: Vitreous when polished; Structure: Coarse-grained interlocking crystals; Cleavage: None (fractures irregularly); Specific gravity: 2.63–2.75

Hardness: 6-7 on Mohs scale
Luster: Vitreous when polished

Identified March 15, 2026More igneous →

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Physical properties

Formation & geological history

Formed through the slow crystallization of magma below Earth's surface (intrusive). Most commercial varieties from Brazil are Precambrian in age, dating back over 600 million years.

Uses & applications

Extensively used in residential and commercial construction for countertops, flooring, and wall cladding due to its durability and aesthetic appeal.

Geological facts

While sold as 'granite' in the trade, it often contains large amounts of plagioclase feldspar and small red garnets, which are metamorphic indicators often found in high-grade regional metamorphic belts.

Field identification & locations

Identify by its 'salt and pepper' texture mixed with golden ochre oxidation. Commonly quarried in Espirito Santo, Brazil. Collectors look for large, well-defined garnet inclusions.

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

Magnetite

Iron(II,III) oxide (Fe3O4)

mineral

Sodalite

Sodalite - Na8(Al6Si6O24)Cl2

mineral

Blue Apatite

Apatite (Group), Ca5(PO4)3(F,Cl,OH)

mineral

Magnetite

Magnetite (Fe3O4)

mineral