igneous
Red Granite
Felsic Plutonic Rock (Granite)
Hardness: 6 to 7 on the Mohs scale. Color: Reddish-pink, mottled with white, gray, and dark specks. Luster: Dull to vitreous depending on quartz content. Texture: Phaneritic (medium to coarse-grained mineral grains). Cleavage: Feldspar shows prominent cleavage surfaces, quartz shows conchoidal fracture.
- Hardness
- 6 to 7 on the Mohs scale
- Color
- Reddish-pink, mottled with white, gray, and dark specks
- Luster
- Dull to vitreous depending on quartz content
Identified More igneous →
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Physical properties
Hardness: 6 to 7 on the Mohs scale. Color: Reddish-pink, mottled with white, gray, and dark specks. Luster: Dull to vitreous depending on quartz content. Texture: Phaneritic (medium to coarse-grained mineral grains). Cleavage: Feldspar shows prominent cleavage surfaces, quartz shows conchoidal fracture.
Formation & geological history
Formed from the slow cooling and crystallization of felsic magma deep beneath the Earth's surface (plutonic environment). Rich in potassium feldspar (orthoclase/microcline), which gives it its characteristic pink to deep red hue.
Uses & applications
Widely used as building stone, dimension stone, countertops, decorative gravel, and landscape materials.
Geological facts
The vibrant red color of red granite comes from hematite inclusions or iron staining within the potassium feldspar crystals. It is one of the most durable and abundant continental rocks on Earth.
Field identification & locations
Identified by its distinctive pink-to-red coarse granular appearance containing interlocking crystals of feldspar, quartz, and minor dark biotite or hornblende. Commonly found in continental crustal shield areas, glacial till, and river beds.
