Mother Nature is amazing. You only need to take a look at granite in its natural state to believe that. Granite is an igneous rock, found in mountains all over the world. But there are only a few select places where granite is produced in such quality that&#;s it good enough to be used in kitchen countertops.
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It forms from the slow crystallization of magma below the Earth&#;s surface, comprised mainly of natural quartz and feldspar with a little bit of mica, amphiboles, and other organic minerals for good measure. Basically, those gleaming granite kitchen countertops you have were molten lava at some point in time.
Granite is usually red, pink, gray, or white in color, with dark mineral grains visible throughout, but there are some extraordinary forms of granites that can be blue, green, black, and gold in color.
Most granite countertops come from quarries in Brazil, Italy, India, and China, each with its own distinct characteristics. Brazil, for instance, produces one of the world&#;s most unique granites, called Van Gogh, or Blue Fire, marked by its stunning blue color.
Granite is the most well-known of all the igneous rock, commonly used as kitchen countertops and bathroom vanity tops. It&#;s also used to create building veneers, monuments and paving stones.
Granite is one of the most durable natural stones due to its creation process. Did you know it takes thousands of years of extreme pressure for granite to reach its final state? This means it&#;s very dense and durable. It&#;s this strength that makes granite rival that of diamonds, which are used to cut the stone into slabs.
Granite has been used in the creation of many of today&#;s most treasured landmarks, such as the New York City Public Library and Mount Rushmore. Even hieroglyphics and the 10 Commandments were etched into granite. Ancient cultures would chisel this stone from quarries and transport it 500 miles away using a system of logs as makeshift wheels.
In the late s, granite started showing up in the mansions of rich celebrities, but the average homeowner could not afford this as a countertop. Most counters were still being made of laminate, which was an affordable material but not very strong. They could easily become scratched or chipped, in contrast with granite which could withstand chopping with a butcher knife.
Technology soon developed to the point where granite could be mass produced, making it more affordable and accessible to mainstream homeowners as the s began. Granite was a localized industry at first, which made finding a local quarry very difficult.
But with the advancement of transportation services from other countries, it became easier to import granites from Brazil, Italy, India, and China.
Granite is more readily available and affordable than ever. Get in touch with Granite Guy today at 508-460- to learn more about this beautiful stone and how you can incorporate it into your home.
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We know marble and granite are typically quarried in Brazil and Italy but few people realize that the United States is a leading producer of granite and marble also. In more than 580,000 tons of granite and over 55,000 tons of marble were produced in quarries across the country. For example, the Danby Marble Quarry located in Vermont has been producing amazing marble for over 100 years. As you may or may not know, this marble has been used to build some of the country&#;s most iconic monuments, such as the Jefferson Memorial and the Supreme Court.
Mountain White Danby Marble Countertops
Where is Granite Found in the United States?
Texas, Massachusetts, Indiana, Wisconsin, and Georgia are the top producers of granite in the U.S. These granite quarries account for approximately 64 percent of the countries production. In , natural stone was being produced at 276 quarries, in 34 states.
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History of Granite and Marble in the United States
The largest open face granite quarry in the world is located in Mount Airy, North Carolina, also known as &#;The Granite City.&#; Established in , the North Carolina Granite Corporation has been harvesting stone at the site for more than 150 years.
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In Aspen, Colorado a marble quarry was discovered in the Colorado Rockies at 9,300 feet above sea level in . It was this marble, Calacatta Lincoln, that was used to build the iconic Lincoln Memorial.
The United States, the world's top consumer of dimension stone (a natural stone that has been selected and finished to specific shapes or sizes), including granite and marble, was ranked as 18th in the world for granite and marble production. The top producing countries include China, India, and Turkey. Even so, the U.S. imports almost 90 percent of all the granite and marble used in residential construction. The leading factor for this is the price. Stone from local quarries does tend to be less expensive. It&#;s also important to note that the country doesn&#;t have the infrastructure in place to even meet the high level of demand.
Mountain White Danby Marble
Additionally, most of the granite quarried in America has a plain gray color that&#;s commonly used for structures or as paving materials. U.S. cities are filled with buildings constructed with American granite, but because of the granites plain color and lack of variation, they&#;re not commonly used for countertops. Similarly, most of the marble quarried in the U.S. is also used for walls, floors, and other non-countertop applications, although there are more varieties of countertop marble than granite in the U.S.
It&#;s still possible to support your local businesses, however, since smaller local companies complete most granite and marble countertop fabrication and installation. There are a number of good options for granite and marble countertops produced in the United States, including:
Virginia Mist Granite with its dusty black background and gray swirls is a well-known option. It&#;s sold in both honed and polished finishes and it&#;s quarried in Virginia as well as Canada.
Dakota Mahogany Granite, quarried in Milbank, South Dakota, is composite granite featuring a black background speckled with mahogany, burgundy, and gray.
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Where is Marble Found?
Marble is found worldwide &#; including in the United States. The most well-known group of American marble are The Danby marble (Imperial Danby Marble, Mountain White Danby, and Montclair Danby Marble, etc.) quarried in Vermont are the most popular American marbles. We carry Mountain White Danby marble for your countertop needs. If you are a natural stone fabricator and would like to build your inventory, Slab Market has a number of granite and marble choices that will fit your needs.
It&#;s widely believed that price is the driving force in the granite and marble import market, however, another factor may be the simple fact that the average consumer simply isn&#;t aware of the products being quarried, conceivably, right around the corner.
Why you can trust Marble.comWhy you can trust Marble.com
When it comes time to get the job done, our fabrication and installation teams have the equipment and expertise it takes to get your project cut and delivered the right way, every time. We at Marble.com are known for our incredibly quick turnaround, as we understand having countertops and other mainstays installed quickly and properly is important to our customers. We value your time, and our goal is to create the best work possible and have you enjoying it as possible.
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