Granite (It. granito, from Lat. granum — grain) is acid magmatic intrusive rock formation. Granite is one of the most dense, solid and durable natural stone rocks. Valuable properties of granite are its low water absorption, high resistance to low temperatures, pollution and abrasion, durability. That is why this material is considered to be optimal for both the exterior and interior facing, is widely used in interior decoration for windows, stairs, countertops, columns and other architectural elements making.

Its compression strength is 90-250 MPa, which is twice more than that of marble.

Granite is frost-resisting, waterproof, durable; has a rich range of colors, well polished, due to what has been widely used as building and facing material for a long time.

Nowadays, in many developed countries, there has been a real surge in the use of granite. Consumption has long exceeded 500 million square meters, while turnovers - tens of billions of dollars, and every year the growth (7-10%) is being evidenced. More than 70% of the total consumption of stone products in the world account for the construction industry.

Statistics shows that granite facing and floor tiles, paving blocks are the most popular among consumers. Next come the windowsills, tabletops, fireplaces, steps.

Granite – as a rule, is volcanic rock stone. Structure of thereof is granular and generally uniform. A very wide range of colors. Most of the granites is well split and heat treated. The main advantage of granite is its natural hardness. It is considered to be an excellent material for exterior facades, steps and floors. Wide range of colors provides designers with unlimited possibilities. Most formations have low abradability and water absorption properties.

Rock formed from orthosite (white or pink), silica and mica (biotite and muscovite), sometimes with other additional minerals. The hardness of granite is conditioned by silica content, which can exceed 70%. According to the varieties, the particles of thereof are more or less fine, the color is from white to grey, pink and red, with the typical flickering shots. Under present treatment conditions, granite is being cut and polished by using the diamond. You can also reach the mirror polishing of thereof. This is the stone used in construction, which is most other resistible to bad weather, has very high compression strength (from 800 to 2200 kg/cm). It is used for lining of the columns, balconies, stairs, monuments, furniture, etc.

Granite for the most part has a red, red-brown, brown, gray, black color. Abrasion Resistance is the main feature in the choice of facing stone for interior work, installation of horizontal structures of buildings. Abrasion resistance is also being understood as wear of the surface under various mechanical loads. The more intense the load, the more durable stone is being used - granite and basalt.

Among the main areas of application of products made of granite we can note: front and pools facing, making of the architectural elements, fireplaces, window sills, tabletops, stairs, floors tiling, and use in landscape design.

Granite is being usually used for fronts, because marbles in the street may darken, be covered with stains, or turn yellow.

Tops, window sills made of natural stone are very popular around the world, but in Russia they only began to be the subject of demand. It is not only very beautiful, but durable. In order to make the solid surface - without using the joints, it is being used the granite slab (billet) with the jagged edges of large dimensions: length - up to 250 cm, width - up to 200 cm, thickness - 20 mm, which is being appropriately processed (surface, edge) . This determies the relatively high cost of tabletops. With regard to the stone floors, they are used in the interiors, mainly for living room, bathroom or WC.

It is also makes sense to use large slabs for pools facing.

Granite rocks are also used for fireplaces as they have high heat-resistant properties.

Architectural elements (balusters, columns, etc.) you can order or buy just prefabricated. The cost of thereof is quite high due to the complexity of manufacturing.

It consists from silica, plagioclase, potash feldspar and mica - biotite and / or muscovite. Granite is widely prevailing in the continental crust. Effusive analogues of granite are rhyolites.

The mineral composition of granite:
    * Feldspars (acid plagioclase and potash feldspar, the latter prevails) - 60-65%;
    * Silica - 25-30%;
    * Dark-colored minerals (biotite, rare hornblende) - 5-10%.

Granites play a huge role in the structure of the Earth’s continents crust. But in contrast to the magmatic rocks of basic composition (gabbro, basalt, anorthosite, norite, troctolite), analogues of which prevail on the Moon and terrestrial planets, the granites are found only on our planet and have not yet known among meteorites or on other planets in the solar system. Among geologists, there is an expression "Granite is a visiting card of the Earth”.

On the other hand, there are substantial grounds for believing that the Earth originated from the same material as the other terrestrial planets. Primary composition of the Earth is reconstructed as to be close to the composition of chondrites. Basalts, but not granites could be melted from these rocks.

These facts led the first petrologists to the problem of origin of granites, the problem attracting the attention of geologists for many years, but being still far from complete solution.

The author of one of the first hypotheses on the origin of granites was N. Bowen - the father of experimental petrology. Based on experiments and observations of natural objects, he found that the crystallization of basaltic magma occurs according to number of laws. The minerals being crystallized in it in such a sequence (series of Bowen), that the melt is continuously being enriched with silicon, sodium, potassium and other low-melting components. So Bowen suggested that the granites may be the last differentiates of basaltic melts.