Granite stone of India
Science behind Granite
Granite is the best-known igneous rock and has been the most sought-after building stone since ancient times. It forms from the slow crystallization of magma below Earth's surface.
Granite is made of large mineral grains that fit tightly together and its individual grains are large enough to distinguish with the human eye.
The stone always consists of the minerals quartz and feldspar, with or without a wide variety of other minerals (accessory minerals). The quartz and feldspar generally give granite a light color, ranging from pinkish to white.
Major production of granite in raw as well as processed form in India is generally from Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, Rajasthan, Gujarat, Uttar Pradesh, and Odisha.
The Brihadeeswarar Temple, in the city of Tanjore in India, built in 1010 during the Chola Dynasty in South India is made entirely of granite. Image source: KARTY JazZ / Wikimedia
One of the strongest stones
Granite is a strong stone because its mineral grains have grown tightly together during a very slow cooling period. Additionally, the quartz and feldspar that compose it are harder than steel.
This makes granite desirable for buildings and ornamental purposes, such as gravestones and monuments. Granite takes a good polish and resists weathering and acid rain.
Commercial granite often refers to any strong rock that is stronger than marble with big grains and hard minerals, and it often doesn’t match the scientific definition of granite.
Granite is also well known for its many world-famous natural exposures. Mount Rushmore in the Black Hills, South Dakota, United States is sculpted from a granite outcrop. Image: Unsplash
The many applications of Granite
Granite also finds its application in making garden furniture, such as benches, fountains and many other articles which are used for landscaping and/or decorative purposes.
The cut-to-size small blocks are used as cobblestone, kerbstone, road sidings and many other innovative uses. Crude granites are utilised for structural purpose after little dressing & sizing whereas processed granites are used mostly in the construction of buildings and monuments and for interiors and exterior facing.
Because of its superior wear resistance and non-denting quality, granite is used for various meteorological and engineering instruments, such as surface plates, straight edges, parallels, cubes, V blocks and work-mounting tables of co-ordinate measuring machines.
What's the right granite thickness to use?
Presently, cut and polished granite slabs of 20 to 30 mm thickness are preferred for flooring, while tiles of 10 or 12 mm thickness are used for cladding.
In addition to this, gravestones and monuments of various shapes and sizes are also in vogue.
Because of the flexibility of the cutting tools, many artifacts of granite for decorative purposes are being made.
