Plural of diorite; a type of igneous rock with a speckled appearance made of feldspar and dark minerals like hornblende.
From Greek 'diorites' (distinct), named for the rock's distinctly visible two-toned mineral composition. The term was formalized in geology in the 19th century.
Diorite is the rock that ancient sculptors loved because it was dark, speckled, and dramatically different from white marble—so it made powerful statements when carved into statues.
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