Granite in furniture: a resistant and very beautiful material

Due to its extraordinary resistance, the ancient Egyptians and Etruscans already used the granite to build temples and obelisks.
Luminous, brilliant, hard, resistant and with a high decorative value, it is increasingly used also in modern construction, for applications both outdoor and indoor.

Let’s get to know this versatile, functional and highly aesthetic material better.

Contents of this Page

• 1 Granite: what it is
• 2 Rock granite
• 3 Origin of the Granite

• 4 Types of Granite

  • 4.1 White granite
  • 4.2 White Cristal
  • 4.3 Alaska White
  • 4.4 Pink granite
  • 4.5 Sardinian granite
  • 4.6 Sardinian White
  • 4.7 Rosa Sardo Beta Granite
  • 4.8 Gray
  • 4.9 Red
  • 4.10 Shivakashi
  • 4.11 Brazilian
  • 4.12 Venetian Yellow

• 5 Pietra del Cardoso

  • 5.1 Bengal Black
  • 5.2 Emerald Pearl
  • 5.3 Ivory Brown
  • 5.4 Tan Brown
  • 5.5 Angola Silver
  • 5.6 Green San Francisco Granite
  • 5.7 Amazonite granite
  • 5.8 Andromeda granite
  • 5.9 Bellini
  • 5.10 Arezzo granite
• 6 Features
• 7 Pros and Cons
• 8 Processing
• 9 Applications
• 10 Difference between marble and granite
• 11 How to clean granite
• 12 Prices

Granite: what it is

Granite is an intrusive magmatic rock that is generated as a result of cooling, and consequent crystallization of the molten magma.

Known and widely used since ancient times, due to its technical-structural characteristics and its decorative aspect, it is still widely used today in modern construction.

It contains high amounts of quartz, which gives it its brilliance. But not only. Inside there are also many other materials on which the different colors and the various chromatic contrasts that vary from white to white-gray and from pink to red depend, based on the concentration of ferric oxide.

The minerals that make up granite are:

• quartz
• orthoclase
• miche
• albite
• anorthite
• corundum
• hyperstene
• magnetite
• ilmenite
• apatite

Rock granite

Granite is a natural stone, one of the most abundant on earth and one of the most beautiful and versatile that exist. Technically it is called “intrusive igneous rock”, that is, it was formed following the cooling of the magma at a depth between 1.5 and 50 kilometers.
Its name, from the Latin “granum” which means “with grains” describes its particular structure which is in grains, of medium or large size.

Origin of the Granite

After decades of studies that have given rise to various theses, the most accredited one affirms that granite is an intrusive volcanic rock that has slowly cooled inside the earth’s crust.

During the solidification process, the mineral impurities present – in the form of granules – are then displaced and recrystallized. And this is how a new hard material was created, aesthetically very beautiful and particularly resistant. The aforementioned impurities give the material its different colors.

Types of Granite

Based on the chemical and mineralogical composition, various types of granite can be distinguished:

• Granites Type A: “Anorogenic”. Moderately alkaline, they have low values ​​of CaO and Al2O3 and high of Fe / (Fe + Mg), and K2O / Na2O. They are found in rift zones and within stable continental plates
• Granites Type C: “Charnockiti”. They are charnockitic-looking granites, i.e. general absence of hornblende, orthopyroxene derived from phase inversion of pigeonite, exceptionally with alkaline calcium feldspar and potassium plagioclase
• Granites Type I: derive from the fusion of igneous rocks. They have quartz and quantities of K-feldspar and plagioclase, hornblende and biotite
• Granites Type M: “Mantle”, generic term that indicates granite rocks present in some continental margins having the chemical and isotopic composition of the volcanic rocks of the island arc
• Granites Type S: derive from the fusion of sedimentary or metamorphic crustal rocks. They are characterized by the presence of muscovite, Al silicates, garnet and / or cordierite

White granite

White and with a compact texture, white granite is abundantly widespread in Italy. It is extremely resistant and can have shades that tend to gray. It is good for both indoor and outdoor environments, and is particularly recommended for the construction of stairs and stairways. Note the Bianco di Sardegna granite and the Bianco Cristal.

White Cristal

Very light type with accentuated dots and rather fine grain, white, gray and black. Suitable for interior and exterior furnishing.

Alaska White

Medium-grained granite, with a white background and shades ranging from light brown to the most intense brown. Ideal for elegantly decorating indoor and outdoor environments.

Pink granite

Mainly extracted from the Baveno quarries on Lake Maggiore, it is one of the most used granites in construction and for decoration.

Sardinian granite

Sardinia is rich in granite. Sardinian granite has great value: extremely resistant, durable and almost completely waterproof. It is used in construction, for internal and external flooring, but also for window sills, stairs, and thresholds of doors and gates.

Among the most famous, the White and Pink ones.

Sardinian White

Resistant and with a compact texture, it has a medium grain that fades from gray to black on a white background. It can be used for both external and internal environments and is particularly recommended for the construction of stairs and stairways.

Rosa Sardo Beta granite

With a uniform and homogeneous texture, this precious material is gray with pinkish shades, small spots and white spaces.

Of great value, it is extremely strong, durable and nearly waterproof. It is widely used in construction, for internal and external flooring, steps, window sills and thresholds of doors and gates.

Grey

The prevalent mineral in this type of granite is plagioclase. It is the best known and most used color in the building sector (civil and industrial), for street furniture (benches, fountains, flower boxes), tombs, monuments, chapels, furniture (fireplaces, bathroom and kitchen tops, sinks, tables) .

Red

Various types of granite fall into this category:

• Santiago red (Argentina), with a characteristic bright red grain, with black and beige intrusions
• African Red (South Africa), with a brilliant ruby ​​red color alternating with black
• Rosso Taivassallo, with a thin and uniform dotted texture over the entire surface. It stands out from other reds for its marked resistance to acids, shocks, scratches and sudden changes in temperature. It is often used for walkways, stairways and external monuments

Granite bathtub

Shivakashi

Originating from India, it has a clear and crystalline background, usually cream / beige, and is crossed by more intense streaks (such as gray and burgundy). It can be used both in internal and external areas, it is suitable for large floors.

It can be found in several finishes:

• honed
• flamed brushed
• brushed and polished

Brazilian

Characterized by great strength and durability, low porosity, ease of cleaning and maintenance, Brazilian granite offers a wide range of colors: the most traditional colors are dark green and shades tending to yellow. It is very versatile and in fact it can be used on both horizontal and vertical surfaces (walls, facades, stairs …) adapting to both a classic and a contemporary style.

Venetian Yellow

Particularly resistant to compression, wear and bending, it is suitable for any type of processing and is widely used in both construction and furniture.

Cardoso stone

With its characteristic dark ash color with elegant slightly lighter shades, it is a uniform and resistant rock. It is extracted from the Apuan Alps, more precisely in the municipality of Stazzema, in the province of Lucca.

Bengal Black

Also called Black Star, it is a medium-fine-grained black rock with white-green veins. Extremely refined, it comes from India and has a homogeneous texture.

Emerald Pearl

Of Nordic origin, depending on the quarry of extraction, the structure of the grain and the intensity of the color vary. It is suitable for both indoor and outdoor environments.

Ivory Brown

Of Indian origin, it has an elegant cream and hazelnut background. It is suitable for both internal and external flooring and cladding.

Tan Brown

It comes from India and is ideal for any use, both internal and external. Fine-grained brown and black, it features elegant silver dots and some black intrusion.

Angola Silver

Coming from Angola, it has a very regular structure, with a black background embellished with small silvery crystals. Extremely refined and elegant, it is suitable for decorating both indoor and outdoor environments. It is one of the hardest and most resistant varieties of granite.

San Francisco Green Granite

Green in color, despite the name it comes from Brazil. It is widely used in construction and for flooring and cladding both indoors and outdoors.

Amazonite granite

Elegant coarse-grained granite from Brazil. Its peculiarity lies in the unique color, which varies from blue to light green.

Andromeda granite

Also known as River White, it hails from Sri Lanka. Fine-grained, it has an ivory-white background with burgundy spots and green and gray intrusions.

Bellini

Coming from Brazil, it is a medium-grained granite that boasts a particular and original color: an elegant mixture of white, brown and burgundy.

Arezzo granite

Always of Brazilian origin, it is a brown-toned granite with fascinating veins.

Features

The most important feature is hardness, without forgetting the high resistance to wear and abrasion by acid agents, such as lemon, vinegar and various detergents. Precisely for these peculiarities it is often …