Granite is an igneous, intrusive stone that is composed mostly of quartz and feldspar with small percentages of mica and other minerals. It comes in various shades of grays, whites, and occasionally light pinks and reds. The stone is durable, easy to maintain, and resistant to weathering, abrasion, heat, stains, and scratches. Granite can bear significant weight and weathering, accepts a polish, and can be cut into blocks, tiles, or slabs of a specific length, width, and thickness. Because of these characteristics, it is used for counters, floor tiles, paving stones, curbing, stair treads, building veneer, and monuments.
When molten lava that is beneath the Earth’s surface crystallizes, it forms granite. This is a slow process, and the slower the formation of the stone, the larger the crystals form in the granite. This stone is most commonly found in continental ground, not oceanic ground. As seen with other stones, each bit of granite that is abstracted from the Earth has a unique color, pattern, and aesthetic.