What is Granite?

Granite is an intrusive igneous rock which is widely distributed throughout Earth’s crust at a range of depths up to 31 mi (50 km). Granite’s characteristic grainy structure and strength is the result of many individual crystalline structures which form tightly together as magma slowly cools within large, deeply buried rock bodies known as plutons. True granite contains 20-60% quartz as well as both plagioclase and alkali feldspars of which the former may not exceed general balance.

Granite block

Other minerals such as hornblende and biotite may also occur in granite, accounting for its variety of appearances (Alden 2004). Commercially, the term ‘granite’ includes a range of other types of non-granite dimension stone including any feldspathic crystalline rocks or other igneous or metamorphic rocks which possess qualities similar to granite’s grainy, interlocking texture. Many variations of granite appear on the commercial market with white, gray, pink, and red being the most common primary colors. Granite color also ranges to darker shades of colors like greens, browns, grays, and black.