Have You Ever Wondered How Granite Is Formed?

In India when most people heard the word “granite” the 1^st thing that comes in your mind is kitchen platforms, Window framings, Door framings, Staircases, etc. However, there is a reason why granite is the preferred material for Indian kitchens. The stone surface not only adds a natural and elegant look to the kitchen but is also the most functional and long-lasting solution for our kitchens. After all, it's one of the toughest materials that can withstand our special and intense cooking style (whether it's with stain-prone spices like turmeric or heavy items like mortar and pestle, pressure cookers, and so on).

One of the most common countertop materials is granite. It was first used in luxury homes in the 1920s, but it did not become a popular approach until the 1970s. It was still regarded as high-end interior design material, and many homeowners believed it was out of their price range. Granite technology and transportation advances were introduced in the 1990s, allowing mass production, and it became a backbone in middle-class homes around the world.

Homeowners looking to renovate their homes often consider adding a beautiful stone element. Many people recognize elegance and usefulness when selecting the right stone, but they neglect the scientific specifics of each stone. Knowing the source of granite may seem unnecessary for a renovation project, but it can make your new renovation feel much more exciting when you learn about the years of scientific miracles that came together to create the beautiful material. So we'll see how granite shapes up before it gets to the Outlets.

How Granite Forms?

Granite is a naturally occurring rock formed deep within the Earth's surface over millions of years. The granite is known as an Igneous Rock, which is derived from the Latin word "Ignis," which means "fire. Igneous rocks can develop in two ways, Igneous rocks are formed as a result of the cooling of lava or magma in general. The molten rock substance under the surface is referred to as magma, while the molten rock substance above the surface is referred to as lava. This phase's location decides whether an igneous rock is intrusive or extrusive.

As lava flows from a volcano and solidifies into extrusive igneous rock, also known as volcanic rock, it cools very easily. Crystals within solid volcanic rocks are small because they do not have much time to shape until the rock cools completely, stopping crystal growth. Crystals are so tiny that they can only be seen with a microscope. Intrusive rocks cool slowly because they never hit the surface. They have big crystals that can be seen without a microscope, as shown in the below picture.

The geologic process that produces granite occurs gradually over time. Granite is a solid and durable material due to the slow cooling process from extreme heat.

Minerals That Give Granite Its Color

            A layer of quartz in granite rock

Quartz, feldspars, and micas are the most common minerals found in granite. Quartz is normally the last mineral to crystallize, filling in the gaps between the other minerals. The hardness, absence of chemical reactivity, and near absence of cleavage of quartz contribute significantly to granite's desirable durable properties. The quartz appears gray, but it is colorless, reflecting and combining the colors of the white and black minerals around it.    

Feldspars are usually white. Feldspars are the minerals that give granite their color variations ranging from yellow to orange to pink or blue. Dark feldspars may also give granite its black variations. Micas are usually silver, black or brown, violet, or pink in color and provide the sparkle is seen in some granites.

How they Extract Granite?

The low-cost blast extraction process involves drilling a hole into the surface layer and blasting the area to remove granite blocks. To loosen granite rocks, airbag extraction uses air instead of an explosion. Stone-cut mining involves extracting granite from the earth with precision equipment. The most expensive, but most effective, extraction method is stone-cut extraction.

In India, some of the premier locations where granite quarries manufacture colorful granite blocks in large quantities are Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh, Rajasthan, Orissa, Madhya Pradesh, and Telangana.

There are nearly 300 varieties of granite available on the global market, with India supplying approximately 200 of them. Prime varieties reflect a diverse range of colors, textures, and structures. These premium varieties have a sizable resource base. Granite's commercial names are derived from its place, color, patterns, and so on.

Karnataka is known for producing granite in the colors Ruby red, Chilly red, Cera grey, Kanakpura multicolor, Himalayan blue, and Sira grey.

Andhra Pradesh is known for its Black Galaxy, Srikakulam blue, and black granite varieties, while Tamil Nadu is known for its Jet-black & Tipu-white, Kashmir-white, and Paradiso sea green granite varieties. Orissa is known for its pink granite, silver-gray, seaweed green, chilka blue, and grey wave granite varieties.                      

Block Selection

After Extraction, every block that matches the size requirement is then thoroughly inspected to ensure that it meets the quality requirements then the blocks are examined for cracks, veins, color patterns

and other variations that help in ensuring the best blocks are selected and further moved to process. Then the blocks are transported to facilities where they will be cut down into slabs.

How are the granite blocks cut?

A continuous dripping of water over the saw is needed when operating with machines to discharge heat produced by the process and from this, it can be control temperature and won’t harm the material. After the block has been shaped with the saw, the adhesive is applied to ensure that there are no cracks or breaks during the cutting process.

 A flow of filtered water is also sprayed during the cutting process to absorb any heat evaporating from the cutting process and to eliminate any sparks. These slabs are then carefully examined for defects and moved for further processing.

Grinding and Polishing

Epoxy resin is used to fill all of the pits and micro gaps that occur naturally, as well as to harden the stone even further. This procedure ensures the granite ages well enough and lasts longer while retaining its natural beauty. Before being processed, the surface of a granite slab must be heated for the granite to absorb the resin more deeply. The material must also be fully clean and dry for the resin to penetrate deep into the surface's smallest cracks.

Polishing will be the last move before the granite slabs are finished. This step is performed to remove any excess solvent from the granite surface and to smoothen the surface finish. Polish will be done according to the requirement of the slab i.e High gloss, glossy, matt, natural, leather, flamed, etc.

We hope now you know the full process of granite, and if you want this information to reach out to people, share this information to friends, partners, groups so that they also know the information about granite. Comment down below if you are having any related questions about this blog. Thank you so much for your precious time.