Rock textures have commonly been utilised artistically, due to the vivid combination of crystal form and colour

The following images have been prepared from cut slabs, and provide raw material for all sorts of applications, some artistic (eg. neat wallpaper for Windows screens) or instructional (captions provided)

SOUTHERN AFRICAN GRANITES
	Kuboos Granite, Pan-African anorogenic suite, North-West Cape Province, South Africa		Kuboos Granite: Rapakivi-type feldspar texture
	Kuboos Granite: Rapakivi-type feldspar texture		Vredenburg Granite, Pan-African orogenic fold belt suite, Western Cape Province
	Paarl Granite, Pan-African orogenic fold belt suite, Western Cape Province		Richtersveld Granite, 880 Ma old anorogenic suite, Fluorspar Valley, Northern Cape Province
	Rietberg Granite, Melanocratic variety, 1080 Ma Namaqua Province, Northern Cape Province
VIOOLSDRIF BATHOLITH - A 1900 Ma CALC-ALKALINE ARC SUITE
	Gabbro pegmatite with coarse elongate hornblende intergrown with white plagioclase		DIORITE: Plagioclase - Hornblende - Biotite - Hypersthene - Quartz - Magnetite
	TONALITE: Plagioclase - Biotite - Hornblende - Magnetite - Quartz		GRANODIORITE: Plagioclase - Biotite - Quartz - Orthoclase - Magnetite
	ADAMELLITE (Two Feldspar Granite): Orthoclase (phenocrystic) - Plagioclase - Quartz - Biotite - Magnetite		LEUCOGRANITE (Alkali Feldspar Granite): Orthoclase - Plagioclase - Quartz - Biotite - Magnetite
SOUTHERN AFRICAN METAMORPHIC ROCKS
	Kabis Augen Gneiss, 1100 Ma Namaqua Province, Northern Cape		Nababeep Gneiss, 1100 Ma Namaqua Province, Northern Cape
	Modderfontein Augen Gneiss, 1100 Ma Namaqua Province, Northern Cape		Finely banded calc-silicate gneiss, Bushmanland Group, Namaqua Province, North-West Cape Province, South Africa
	Granulite facies calc-silicate gneiss, Namaqua Province, Aus District, Namibia		Porphyroblastic hornfels (Transvaal Group shales) in floor of Bushveld Complex. Coarse phenoblasts of andalusite (cream) grows across relict bedding
	Tightly folded garnet amphibolite, Namaqualand
OTHER SOUTHERN AFRICAN IGNEOUS ROCKS
	Yzerfontein gabbro, Pan-African orogenic fold belt suite, Western Cape Province, South Africa		Flow banded rhyolite, 1300 Ma Sinclair volcanic province, Namibia
	Globular xenoliths of porphyritic trachyandesite in quartz syenite, Kanabeam alkaline ring complex, Pan-African anorogenic suite, Southern Namibia		Laminated porphyritic melasyenite, Kanabeam alkaline ring complex, Pan-African anorogenic suite, Southern Namibia
	Ophitic basalt, Karoo Flood Basalt Province, Ellisras Sub-Basin, Northern Province, South Africa		Peralkaline eudialite syenite, Pilanesberg.
	Coarse spinifex-type texture developed in a wollastonite ijolite, xenolith in sovite, Dicker Willem carbonatite, Namibia.		Melasyenite, Richtersveld Igneous Province
	Kimberlite, Monastery Mine. Porphyritic texture with large crystals of serpentinised olivine. Distinct diopside-ilmenite intergrowth can be seen at left		Garnet peridotite. Mantle xenolith in kimberlite.
	Peridotite. Mantle xenolith in kimberlite.
SOUTHERN AFRICAN SEDIMENTARY ROCKS
	Finely bedded varvite with dropstone. Numees Tillite, southern Namibia.		Dwyka Tillite in drill core. Karoo Supergroup, Witbank Coalfield.
	Detail of sedimentary texture in the matrix of the Dwyka Tillite, Karoo Supergroup, Witbank Coalfield.
SOUTHERN AFRICAN MINERAL DEPOSITS
	Hydrothermal vein with coarse pyrite and arsenopyrite set in quartz gangue. Elandshoogte gold mine.		Sulphide-rich bands in Fig Tree shales, Fairview Gold Mine, Barberton.
	Buckshot pyrite grains in the matrix of a quartz pebble conglomerate, Ventersdorp Contact Reef.

Photo Gallery maintained by D.L. Reid

Last updated 2003/05/01

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