RocksdayGranite vs Granodiorite
How to tell them apart
A coarse-grained rock that cooled slowly deep underground, made of quartz, feldspar and mica or hornblende.
Photo: The stone gate, CC BY-SA 4.0
A gray, granite-like rock with more white plagioclase than granite — the most common rock of continental crust.
Photo: Rudolf Pohl, CC BY-SA 3.0
Key differences
- Granite has more pink alkali feldspar.
Side by side
| Property | Granite | Granodiorite |
|---|---|---|
| Type | Igneous rock | Igneous rock |
| Mohs hardness | 6–7 | 6–7 |
| Luster | Granular, sparkly | Granular |
| Colors | Pink, Gray, White, Black | Gray, White, Black |
| Crystal system / structure | Coarse-grained (phaneritic) | Coarse-grained (phaneritic) |
| Specific gravity | 2.63–2.75 | 2.7–2.8 |
| Found in | Sierra Nevada, California; Stone Mountain, Georgia | Half Dome, Yosemite; Coast Mountains, British Columbia |
Properties that are the same for both are grayed out.
How to identify granite
- Speckled with interlocking grains you can see without a lens.
- Glassy gray quartz plus pink or white blocky feldspar.
- Black specks of mica or hornblende.
- Hard, with no layering or banding.
Structure: Coarse-grained (phaneritic)
Full Granite guide →How to identify granodiorite
- Salt-and-pepper gray with some glassy quartz.
- Mostly white plagioclase, little pink feldspar.
- Coarse, even grains.
Structure: Coarse-grained (phaneritic)
Full Granodiorite guide →More comparisons
Could you tell them apart from a blurry close-up?
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