Granite: What’s In a Name?

To a geologist, granite is one specific type of stone. It’s a light colored, coarse-grained igneous rock. Thus, “black granite,” to a geologist, is an oxymoron akin to a “vegetarian steak.” There simply is no such thing.

But neither side needs to be right or wrong on this. Naming conventions for stones vary across different industries. Those who work in mining, gemstones, commercial stones, and geology all have their own language. And that’s okay. Everyone should use the names that make the most sense for their purposes. The stone industry needn’t start labeling slabs as granodiorite or monzonite just to make geologists happy.

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Provided by: Use Natural Stone