What Type of Rock is Granite?

What is Granite?

Granite is an igneous rock composed primarily of the minerals quartz and feldspar. Smaller amounts of other minerals, including orthoclase, hornblende and mica, are also present.

Granite is a rock, not a mineral. The difference between the two materials is that rocks are composed of various minerals, whereas minerals are composed of crystals.

Granite makes up a large part of the continental crust which is the layer of Earth we live on. These rocks form well below the surface as molten magma cools, crystallises and solidifies.

Due to intense pressure, magma is forced between other layers of rock before slowly turning to stone.

Granite crystals are often large and clearly visible because they have grown very slowly over millions of years.

What is Granite Used for? 

Granite has many uses due to its strength, durability, and aesthetic appeal.

It's widely used for kitchen worktops and fireplace surrounds and once fitted, rarely needs to be replaced.

Granite is also used for sculptures, gravestone markers and memorials. 

One of the most popular stones in the building trade, granite is exceptionally hard, resists weathering and can bear significant weight.

Best known for its mottled pink, white and grey colour, granite is known for its strength and durability. For this reason, it has been prized as a building material for thousands of years.

Granite was widely used in ancient Egypt, particularly for carving obelisks and for the chambers of the Great Pyramid.

In South Dakota, the heads of four U.S. presidents are carved into the granite face of Mount Rushmore. 

The colour and pattern of granite are determined by the minerals present, such as quartz or feldspar. Although white, grey and pink are the most common, granite occurs in many colours, including green, blue, brown, yellow, and gold.

Article Photos

The granite at the top of our article is on display in London's Natural History Museum. Photo by Stone Mania. 

The second photo is porphyritic granite. Photo courtesy of Stan Celestian. Both images are clickable and redirect to the original photo.

Pop-up images: Orthoclase (albite on orthoclase) and Mica (muscovite mica) - Courtesy of Stan Celestian.