Granite - From Mountaintop to Countertop

Granite gets its name from the Latin word granum, meaning "grain," referring to the grain-like texture admired in the stone. Granite is described scientifically as an igneous rock consisting of twenty percent or more of quartz by volume. While it can be found in a variety of colors, pink and grey are the most common.

Granite is formed deep within the continental plates of the Earth's crust when magma intrudes into other rocks that are embedded within the crust. Strongly forged under the earth, granite's size, density and tough exterior have made it popular as a durable building material throughout the ages.

The Rise of Magma

How granite has ascended to the upper continental crust has been debated for decades; a lack of geological evidence has led to two major theories. Stokes Diapir presented the idea that magma rises as a single mass through the earth's crust due to buoyancy. However, this is subject to speculation; when rocks reach the upper crust, it is too cold and brittle for magma to be malleable enough to rise as a single body. Another theory is fracture propagation, which solves the problem of moving masses of magma through a brittle cold crust. This theory suggests that magma rises in small channels through dykes along fault systems.

Monumental Status and Modern Uses

Evidence of granite as a building material can be traced all the way back to ancient times. An example of this can be seen in Egypt's third largest Pyramid, the Red Pyramid, which is constructed from red granite. Pharaohs also used this material to have their bodies immortalized; sarcophaguses and statues using granite's elegance and fortitude to protect them in the afterlife. Many of these shrines are still intact today.

Granite is more rigid against acid rain than marble and began replacing marble in many projects in the last couple decades. Just as it was used by the ancient Egyptians, granite is still used for the construction of monuments and tombstones. It has also developed some new uses, sometimes seen as flooring for public buildings or as a foundation for homes in towns where it is readily available.

Most recently, granite has changed the world of home improvement by becoming the star of the kitchen and bath in the form of custom countertops. It has become fashionable to show off gleaming stone countertops, and they can even increase the value of a home. In regards to countertops, granite is the term applied to igneous rocks with large crystals and not necessarily to those with granitic composition. Large slabs are cut with computer controlled rotary systems, sandblasted, and then polished. This polished look provides both the aesthetic appeal and durability that granite has been prized for over the centuries, making it a perfect selection for the kitchen.