What Is The Hardest Granite
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What is the hardest granite. For reference your fingernail is a 3 and a steel knife is a 7 on the hardness scale. Granite is a hard stone and requires skill to carve by hand. If you are looking for a tough surface for your home granite is the perfect choice. These two stones have a mohs hardness rating of 6 or 7.
Granite brings a striking beauty that cannot be replicated by marble or quartz. Black gabbro dark green peridotite or streaky gneiss which even amateurs. One of the hardest natural stones granite is very strong and makes for durable surfaces that are unlikely to be marred by cutting scraping or any other commonplace kitchen activities. Stone dealers however use granite to refer to any rock with big grains and hard minerals so many types of commercial granite seen in buildings and showrooms don t match the geologist s definition.
According to moh s scale of mineral hardness granite is typically a 6 8 on the scale 1 is the softest and 10 is the hardest. This pure black stone has no variation flecks or veining although it may have a slightly crystalline look to it when polished. Until the early 18th century in the western world granite could be carved only by hand tools with generally poor results. The hardest material on the mohs scale is diamond which is a 10.
A key breakthrough was the invention of steam powered cutting and dressing tools by alexander macdonald of aberdeen inspired by seeing ancient egyptian granite. While not as hard as granite and gemstone these surfaces are still very hard and are unlikely to scratch. Falling down on the scale a little more are popular countertop options marble travertine and slate. Granite takes a good polish and resists weathering and acid rain.
Granite is highly resistant to chips and scratches it is the hardest stone next to the diamond. Slightly softer than granite and gemstone quartzite quartz and onyx each rank at a 7 on the mohs scale. Marble is a degree or two less and though it is still a very hard stone it s rating on the mohs scale is about a 5. White granite in particular has an additional advantage.
Besides when properly sealed granite is stain resistant and takes normal wear and tear very well. Granite is the rock most often quarried as a dimension stone a natural rock material that has been cut into blocks or slabs of specific length width and thickness. It is quite durable and highly heat resistant. Granite is a natural stone.
Granite is hard enough to resist abrasion strong enough to bear significant weight inert enough to resist weathering and it accepts a brilliant polish. As you can tell from the table above granite is one of the hardest natural stone countertop options you have. So we strive for the hardest most attainable and attractive option in stones which happens to be granite and quartz.