How is Granite different from Marble or Limestone?
Granite is an igneous stone; one derived from magma that is cooled beneath the earth’s surface. Additional minerals introduced to the cooling stone gives granite its wide array of colors and crystalline textures. Granite is such a dense material that when it is quarried and fabricated, heavy duty equipment, such as diamond coated saw blades, is required in order to extract and shape the stone. Since it possesses such inherent strength, granite is ideal for kitchen countertops. Marble is a metamorphic stone and is derived from limestone that has been crushed and heated by the earth for millions of years. This long process causes crystallization of the stone and any minerals that seep into it, thus enabling marble to be polished with a highly reflective finish. Marble is much softer than granite and is more susceptible to staining and scratching.
