What is Granite?

Granite is—quite literally—as old as the earth. It is formed from liquid magma, the molten rock still found at the core of the planet, cooled slowly to form a substance approaching the hardness and durability of diamond. Granite is an igneous rock, the name reflecting its fiery beginnings. The chemical composition of granite is similar to that of lava. However, granite owes its hardness and density to the fact that it has been solidified deep within the earth, under extreme pressure. It is accurate to speak of "granites," because many varieties of the stone exist. While they differ in color, texture and crystalline structure, the granites have three essential minerals in common: Feldspar (50% or greater), Quartz (25-40%) and Mica (3-10%). These minerals occur in different proportions, giving each unique type of stone its own color, texture and structural characteristics. Other minerals add to the unique coloration and texture of each granite deposit. With natural material like granite, a certain amount of "movement" or grain in the stone must be expected. Many people find this flow and blending of colors to be a very convincing reason for using granite.

Granite Counter Tops Colors & Patterns

From a design perspective granite is a dream. A broad spectrum of colors and an interesting array of patterns offer endless possibilities. And the choices are continually expanding as more countries and regions around the globe begin to explore their unique geology to bring new granites to market.

Please click here to check out granite color palette.

Colors include many choices in golden browns, pale pinks, deep plums, romantic reds, exotic blues, greens, blacks and many subtle shades in-between. The pattern can be highly structured offering a uniform appearance over the entire countertop or the pattern may change continually, without repetition, called "movement".

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