What is granite

Granite is solid rock, which consists of several elements: quartz, feldspar, micas, plagioclase. Granite is an important part of the earth's crust, there is no precise evidence that this stone exists on other planets of the Solar system, so geologists call this material is the hallmark of the Earth. Granite is a very dense and durable mineral that is mainly used in construction.

The origin of granite

There are two ways of formation of the granite. At first this stone is formed from the magmatic melt, which at great depths in the earth's crust cools down and gradually kamenevym. The result is a granular crystalline granite, which consists of grains of various sizes.

The second method of formation of the granite – sedimentary, clastic and clay rocks that moved tectonic processes and fall into the deep layers of the earth's crust, where high temperatures, strong pressure and hot gases melted them, squeezed and subjected to granitization.

These processes took place millions of years ago when the Earth was subjected to mountain-building processes.

Composition, types and characteristics of granite

Granite has a crystal-grain structure. Based on its chemical composition are rocks enriched with calcium, iron, alkalis and magnesium. Is feldspars, quartz, mafic minerals. Prevails in the composition of potassium feldspar, which gives the stone a certain color, and the quartz is responsible for the presence in the granite translucent grains. Also part of this breed may come in and other minerals, e.g., monazite or ilmenite, but their content is very small, and they are not always. Characteristics of the composition of granite is determined the existence of various types: plagiogranite called rock with a predominant composition of plagioclase and a small amount of feldspar, this stone has a pinkish color; and alaskite stone called dominated with feldspar and mafic materials without. There are also species such as syenites, telenity, diorites. Different types of granite have different colors: a gray, black, red, pink granite.

This rock is very durable, so it since ancient times, used in construction. Granite stone is extremely durable, it is almost not affected by climate conditions, it's water resistant, and many architectural works, created several centuries ago well have survived until our days.

Among them – the famous Egyptian pyramids, which were built using granite blocks. This stone was erected constructions in Ancient Rome and India.

This breed is also easy to handle, well polished, take on any form, with its help you can even create a mirror surface. Granite is also used for the manufacture of tiles, countertops, monuments, decorative items for the interior tombs.