What is Granite?

When people hear the word granite they often think of a singular stone product used for countertops, vanities, buildings, etc.  In reality, 'granite' is a category grouping together thousands of distinct stones, each with their own unique composition, color, pattern, strengths & weaknesses.
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Unique Color

Granite gets its wonderful variety of colors and patterns from minerals melted into its liquid mass when it was initially formed.  Crystal size is partially determined by the rate the granite cooled.

Slow cooling=Large crystals; Fast cooling=Fine Grain

Unique Veining & Grain Pattern

The color veining commonly associated with granite is caused by random mineral distributions and concentrations throughout the stone.

Grain pattern is based on the heat during formation and its subsequent cooling rate.

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Unique Geological Formations

Each stone's charateristics are unique to the area or geological formation where they were quarried. For example, in areas with abundant mica granite will contain bigger crystals than areas with less.

As a result, it's actually possible to specify stone have certain physical properties best suited for your project.

Unique Strength and Durability

Granite's overall strength and durability is typically in direct proportion to the percentage of quartz in its mineral make-up.

Since quartz content can vary anywhere from 20 to 60 percent, there is often a great disparity in strength & durability among the different granites.

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Granite Colors & Edges

Find Your Favorite Granite Color & Edge Detail!

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Making the Grade

Learn why there can be so much variation in granite costs

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