Is Granite The Hardest Stone

Granite is one of the most beautiful types of natural stone you can find.

Is granite the hardest stone.

Where do stone countertop materials rank on the mohs scale. Granite brings a striking beauty that cannot be replicated by marble or quartz. The granite hardness helps buyers make a balanced decision. When properly sealed it will last for decades.

2013 05 10 auto generated by youtube. 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. It is quite durable and highly heat resistant. It is a very hard igneous rock containing quartz mica and feldspar as its main mineral makeup.

These two stones have a mohs hardness rating of 6 or 7. But beyond beauty granite is also a very tough and durable material which is why it is so commonly found in countertops. Among the harder natural stone countertop materials on the mohs scale are granite and gemstone which each rank at an 8 on the scale. That is an old classification and i am not sure the classification still exists.

Provided to youtube by cdbaby granite is the hardest stone dalla k5 2013 dalla released on. 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. For reference your fingernail is a 3 and a steel knife is a 7 on the hardness scale. Being one of the hardest of the dimension stone types granite was historically avoided by the smaller local stone fabricating shops who favored marbles and limestones due to their easier working properties.

Granite is a hard stone and requires skill to carve by hand. But in the 1960s when i began learning rock classification a quartzite was a sandstone that was composed predominantly of quartz and cemented with sili. In the northern climates where snow melting chemicals are used heavily granite has resisted the attack of these caustic agents. Granite countertops are one of the hardest natural stone surfaces that you can have in your home.

Granite is highly resistant to chips and scratches it is the hardest stone next to the diamond. Among various natural stone products granite enjoys a better hardness over other materials. Ask us about our 25 year sealer protection. Different stones are made up of different minerals which impacts their overall hardness.

Until the early 18th century in the western world granite could be carved only by hand tools with generally poor results. So we strive for the hardest most attainable and attractive option in stones which happens to be granite and quartz.