igneous

Pink Granite (Crystalline Granite)

Igneous Intrusive Rock (Felsic Plutonic)

Hardness: 6-7 on Mohs scale; Color: Pink, salmon, or reddish-orange tones mixed with white/grey; Luster: Vitreous to dull; Crystal structure: Phaneritic (visible interlocking crystals); Cleavage: Perfect on feldspar grains, none on quartz grains; Specific Gravity: 2.63 - 2.75.

Hardness: 6-7 on Mohs scale
Color: Pink, salmon, or reddish-orange tones mixed with white/grey
Luster: Vitreous to dull

Identified March 3, 2026More igneous →

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Physical properties

Formation & geological history

Formed through the slow crystallization of magma below Earth's surface. The pink color is primarily due to a high concentration of Potassium Feldspar (Orthoclase). These formations can range from hundreds of millions to billions of years old, often found in continental shields.

Uses & applications

Extensively used in construction for countertops, monuments, curbing, and flooring. In smaller, tumbled forms, it is used for aquarium gravel, decorative landscaping, and as a common introductory specimen for rock collecting.

Geological facts

Granite makes up a large part of the Earth's continental crust. Mount Rushmore is carved into a massive granite batholith. The pink variance is specifically caused by the presence of K-feldspar which gets its hue from impurities or radioactive decay of potassium over geological time.

Field identification & locations

Identify in the field by its 'salt and pepper' or speckled texture and its high hardness (it will scratch glass). Look for it in glaciated regions as erratic boulders or in mountain ranges like the Rockies or Adirondacks. Collectors look for pieces with large, distinct crystals.

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