Granite is a type of magmatic rock, while its non-metamorphic grains are made up of quartz and other minerals. Marble is a metamorphic rock originating from limestone.
Granite is widely used in civil construction because it is a hard and resistant stone. One of its main characteristics is that it is very compact, which makes it a good material for construction work.
Marble is also widely used in construction. It is also attractive in the trade of ornamental stones, because depending on the chemical composition of the marble, it can have different textures.
| Granite | Marble | |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | Magmatic / igneous rock. | Metamorphic rock. |
| Training | Through the cooling of the magma. | By exposing limestone to high temperatures and low to moderate pressure. |
| Mineralogical composition | Quartz, mica and feldspar. | Calcite and dolomite, but usually also quartz, mica and feldspar. |
What is granite?
Granite is a magmatic rock, that is, it is the result of the cooling of molten magma. The mineralogical composition of granite can be varied, as in addition to quartz, it has mica and feldspar, which gives it different colors.
Feldspar changes the chromatic pattern of the granite, providing different colors to the rock, which can range from cream to red. Black granite gains its color due to the presence of ferromagnesian silicates.
Light granite, which is the most commonly found, has fewer ferromagnesian minerals and is up to 95% quartz and feldspar.
To assess the quality of granite, professionals study the following characteristics:
- Texture
- Chemical composition
- Mineralogical composition
- Structure of crystals in the rock
What is Marble?
Marble is a metamorphic rock. This means that the original rock underwent a transformation. In the case of marble, it is the result of exposure of limestone to high temperatures, with low to moderate pressure.
Therefore, miners look for marble in regions with a high incidence of limestone and where there was probably volcanic activity.
The rock is highly appreciated for ornamental issues in civil construction. In buildings, they can serve for various purposes, such as the pillar of a structure for example. Easy to polish, marble tables are common in domestic use due to the resistance and beauty that marble can have.
It is a rock formed mainly by the minerals calcite and dolomite, but also has quartz in the composition. It is usually a white stone, but it can contain varying colors created by heat and pressure at the time of formation.
Marble has been appreciated since antiquity for use in buildings, sculptures, vases and other ornaments.
Metamorphic Rocks vs Magmatic Rocks
The main difference between granite and marble is that the latter is a metamorphic rock. Granite is a magmatic rock, also called igneous.
A metamorphic rock is when a parent material, in the case of marble or limestone, is exposed to high temperatures and pressures in the Earth's mantle. With this, limestone becomes marble.
Granite, in turn, is formed by the cooling of magma. In this sense, they can be extrusive, when exposed by volcanic eruptions, or intrusive, when cooling occurs below the surface, creating a granite reserve.
See also the difference between:
- zirconia and diamond
- soil types
