1.7" Natural Gabbro Polished Palm Stone Mineral Calcium Plagioclase Madagascar

Location: Madagascar

Weight: 1.8 Ounces 

Dimensions: 1.7 Inches Long, 1.4 Inches Wide, 0.8 Inches Thick

The item pictured is the one you will receive. 

Gabbro

Gabbro is a coarse-grained, dark-colored intrusive igneous rock that forms from the slow cooling of magnesium- and iron-rich magma deep beneath the Earth’s surface. Its mineral composition is similar to basalt; however, while basalt cools rapidly and develops a fine-grained texture, gabbro cools slowly, resulting in its characteristic coarse-grained appearance.

Mineral Composition

The primary minerals found in gabbro include:

• Plagioclase Feldspar: Typically calcium-rich, often in the form of labradorite or bytownite. Plagioclase constitutes a major portion of the gabbro’s mineral content.

• Pyroxene: Most commonly clinopyroxene (usually augite), though some varieties may contain orthopyroxene.

• Olivine: Present in certain types of gabbro, particularly olivine gabbros, though not always found in every specimen.

• Accessory Minerals: Minor quantities of hornblende (in hornblende gabbros), biotite, magnetite, ilmenite, and apatite may also be present.

• Quartz and Feldspathoids: Some subtypes, such as quartz gabbros or foid-bearing gabbros, contain small amounts of quartz or feldspathoids.

This combination of minerals gives gabbro its dark color, dense texture, and coarse-grained structure, making it an important rock in both geological studies and construction applications.