Bait Al Noor Marble & Granite Trading L.L.C

crystal yellow granite

Granite is a light-colored igneous rock with grains large enough to be visible with the unaided eye. It forms from the slow crystallization of magma below Earth's surface. Granite is composed mainly of quartz and feldspar with minor amounts of mica, amphiboles, and other minerals. This mineral composition usually gives granite a red, pink, gray, or white color with dark mineral grains visible throughout the rock.   The Best-Known Igneous Rock Granite is the best-known igneous rock. Many people recognize granite because it is the most common igneous rock found at Earth's surface and because granite is used to make many objects that we encounter in daily life. These include counter tops, floor tiles, paving stone, curbing, stair treads, building veneer, and cemetery monuments. Granite is used all around us - especially if you live in a city.   Multiple Definitions of Granite The word "granite" is used in a variety of ways by different people. A simple definition is used in introductory courses; a more precise definition is used by petrologists (geologists who specialize in the study of rocks); and, the definition of granite expands wildly when used by people who sell decorative stone such as countertops, tile, and building veneer. These multiple definitions of granite can lead to communication problems. However, if you know who is using the word and who they are communicating with, you can interpret the word in its proper context. Three common usages of the word "granite" are explained below. A) Introductory Course Definition Granite is a coarse-grained, light-colored igneous rock composed mainly of feldspars and quartz with minor amounts of mica and amphibole minerals. This simple definition enables students to easily identify the rock based upon a visual inspection. B) Petrologist's Definition Granite is a plutonic rock in which quartz makes up between 10 and 50 percent of the felsic components and alkali feldspar accounts for 65 to 90 percent of the total feldspar content. Applying this definition requires the mineral identification and quantification abilities of a competent geologist. Many rocks identified as "granite" using the introductory course definition will not be called "granite" by the petrologist - they might instead be alkali granites, granodiorites, pegmatites, or aplites. A petrologist might call these "granitoid rocks" rather than granites. There are other definitions of granite based upon mineral composition. C) Commercial Definition The word "granite" is used by people who sell and purchase cut stone for structural and decorative use. These "granites" are used to make countertops, floor tiles, curbing, building veneer, monuments, and many other products. In the commercial stone industry, a "granite" is a rock with visible grains that is harder than a marble. Under this definition, gabbro, basalt, pegmatite, schist, gneiss, syenite, monzonite, anorthosite, granodiorite, diabase, diorite, and many other rocks will be called "granite." The collection of images here illustrates the range of rocks that might be called "granite."   Uses of Granite Granite is the rock most often quarried as a "dimension stone" (a natural rock material that has been cut into blocks or slabs of specific length, width, and thickness). Granite is hard enough to resist most abrasion, strong enough to bear significant weight, inert enough to resist weathering, and it accepts a brilliant polish. These characteristics make it a very desirable and useful dimension stone. Most of the granite dimension stone produced in the United States comes from high-quality deposits in five states: Massachusetts, Georgia, New Hampshire, South Dakota, and Idaho. Granite has been used for thousands of years in both interior and exterior applications. Rough-cut and polished granite is used in buildings, bridges, paving, monuments, and many other exterior projects. Indoors, polished granite slabs and tiles are used in countertops, tile floors, stair treads, and many other practical and decorative features.