Why Granite

Granite Types

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Giallo Ornamental	Jade Green	Kashmir White	New Caledonia	Verde Butterfly
Santa Cecilia	Santa Cecilia Light	Tan Brown	Absolute Black	Baltic Brown
Carioca Gold	Giallo Fiorito	Giallo Topazio	Golden Leaf	Golden Oak
Impala Black	Kashmir Gold	Madura Gold	Mascarello	New Venetian Gold
Peacock Green	Red Dragon	Sahara Gold	Tropic Brown	Verde Labrador
Verde Marinace	Juparana Bordeaux	Typhoon Bordeaux

Products made from granite will not depreciate with time and will continuously add value to any property where they are installed. Unlike synthetics, granite presents a surface depth that seems almost three-dimensional. It has a luminance that’s absent from other surfaces. Regardless of its finish, granite creates an immediate impression of elegance, and is considered a definite plus on any real estate broker’s checklist.

Granite is sold both in tiles and slabs, and is frequently used not only for kitchen countertops, bar tops, and vanities, but also for walls, floors, fireplace surrounds, windowsills, and even building fascia. Its unique variations in color and veining turns make each specimen a natural work of art. It is cool to the touch, and presents an image of classic grace and beauty.

What is Granite?

Granite is a common and widely-occurring group of intrusive felsic igneous rocks that form at great depths and pressures under continents. Granite consists of orthoclase and plagioclase feldspars, quartz, hornblende, biotite, muscovite and minor accessory minerals such as magnetite, garnet, zircon and apatite. Rarely, a pyroxene is present. Ordinary granite always carries a small amount of plagioclase, but when this is absent the rock is referred to as alkali granite. An increasing proportion of plagioclase feldspar causes granite to pass into granodiorite. A rock consisting of equal proportions of orthoclase and plagioclase plus quartz may be considered a quartz monzonite. A granite containing both muscovite and biotite micas is called a binary granite. The average density is 2.75 g/cm3 with a range of 1.74 to 2.80.

The word granite comes from the Latin granum, a grain, in reference to the coarse-grained structure of such a crystalline rock.

Occurrence of granite

Granite occurs as relatively small, less than 100 km2 stock-like masses and as large batholiths often associated with orogenic mountain ranges and is frequently of great extent. Small dikes of granitic composition called aplites are associated with granite margins. In some locations very coarse-grained pegmatite masses occur with granite. Granite has been intruded into the crust of the Earth during all geologic periods, except perhaps the most recent; much of it is of Precambrian age. Granite is widely distributed throughout the continental crust of the Earth and is the most abundant basement rock that underlies the relatively thin sedimentary rock veneer of the continents.

Origin of granite

There are two theories for the origin of granite. The magmatic theory states that granite is derived by the crystal fractionation of magma. Thus granite bodies are the result of intrusion of liquid magma into the existing rocks. The granitization theory states that granite is formed in place by extreme metamorphism. There is evidence to support both theories, and both are useful to explain different observed features. The two may actually merge: as metamorphic conditions increase to the melting point of the metamorphosed granite, it will melt and become a liquid magma.

Uses of granite

Granite has been extensively used a dimension stone and as flooring tiles in public and commercial buildings and monuments.