What is Granite
Granite is a natural igneous stone that is one of the most beautiful and resilient surface materials in the world.
For millennia, granite has been prized for its strength and versatility, and it’s become the gold standard for home countertops.
Often used in bathrooms and for floors or home decor, the kitchen is where granite is in the highest demand because it is virtually indestructible.
Granite ranks an incredible 7 on the Moh’s Hardness scale, making it unscratchable by kitchen knives or other implements, and can naturally withstand very high heats.
There are many color, pattern, and style choices homeowners can make with their granite countertops. Granite is created from rock that has been melted beneath the surface of the earth (magma), cooled slowly under pressure, and hardened into a solid stone.
The primary minerals in granite are feldspar, quartz, and mica, and the different proportions of these minerals (in concert with other minerals present during formation) determine the stone’s eventual color pattern.
Granite commonly contains whites and blacks, earth tones such as chocolates, golds, or pale yellows, and even more vibrant colors like blue, green, or red. The possible patterns include bold veins, large irregular spots, tiny flecks, swirls of color, and so much more.
No two slabs are alike, making granite not only a practical choice for your home’s design but a completely unique piece of natural art.
We also offer a number of granite countertop finishes that can further distinguish your countertops.
There are a number of different finishes you can use, making the final appearance of the stone anywhere from highly shined and polished to matte.
You can also choose among different edge profiles for your granite countertop, popularly including rounded “bullnose” edges, multi-layered laminated edges, flat edges, or beveled. And finally, we also offer etching to include decorative patterns!
The stylistic possibilities are endless, and working with your fabricator to create the design most suited to your kitchen, lifestyle, and aesthetic is the best thing about custom-made countertops.
It’s important to note that granite is not maintenance-free. Most granite countertops need to be sealed, sometimes as often as every three months or as infrequently as every three years.
This is determined by the porousness of the stone; typically, the darker the granite, the denser the stone, but every slab should be treated on a case-by-case basis.
Your manufacturer should be able to work with you to find something that fits your needs and lifestyle!
Get the List of Best Granite Suppliers in Delhi
What is Marble?
After granite, marble is the most popular natural stone for use in home countertop and floor design, and just as timeless.
Marble has been a popular material for both sculpture and architecture for millennia, thanks to both its enduring strength and luminous beauty.
What makes marble so special? It’s probably the way it reflects light, creating a glowing, clean, and natural look wherever it’s used.
Marble comes from limestone, which is a sedimentary rock that’s composed of mud, sand, and shells that are pressed together; when that limestone is subjected to high heats and pressure, typically from the long process of mountain-building, it transforms from a sedimentary rock into a metamorphic one, and the components of the limestone are recrystallized.
The resulting marble is smoother, denser, harder, and more uniform, often with swirling veins or sometimes completely white.
Depending on the other minerals that were present in the marble’s formation, you might find other colors like creams, greens, or rose, black, or brown.
All marbles share the incredible feature of deep light penetration into the stone, which makes it seem to almost glow from the inside, and creates an illusive surface that looks almost soft, despite its incredible strength.
The most classic and popular type of marble is Carrara, which is white or sometimes bluish-gray and lightly veined in a way that is often described as “feathery.”
A similar white stone is Calacatta, which is rarer and typically has bolder, larger, and more erratic veining.
Calacatta Gold is also very popular, which (as it sounds) combines the white and grey of traditional Calacatta with bright golden streaks and highlights, making it one of the most coveted luxury marbles.
Marble is able to reflect light so well partially because it is more porous than marble, and though this means it makes for one of the most beautiful materials known to man, it’s also a softer stone than granite and more prone to stains or scratches.
For this reason, high-traffic kitchens that see a lot of action are better off using granite or quartz. Marble is very commonly chosen for bathrooms, vanities, or home decoration.
It can be used for kitchen islands and countertops, of course, as long as the homeowners understand the care and maintenance that go into a marble countertop.
Don’t let a wine spill or slice of lemon sit, and prepare yourself emotionally to see a few scratches or a little patina develop over the years.
You’ll be able to work with your fabricator to achieve exactly what you need in terms of look and lifestyle.
Don’t be afraid to install marble–though it’s not as indestructible as granite (and to be fair, almost nothing is!) it’s still a tough and gorgeous material that will add class and luxury to any home.
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