Granite
Granite is a coarse-grained (phaneritic) intrusive igneous rock composed primarily of quartz, alkali feldspar, and plagioclase. It is formed from magma with a high content of silica and alkali metal oxides that slowly cools and solidifies underground. It is common in the Earth’s continental crust, where it occurs in igneous intrusions. They range in size from dykes just a few centimeters in diameter to batholiths found over hundreds of square kilometers.
Granite is typical of a larger family of granitic rocks, or granitoids, which are composed primarily of coarse-grained quartz and feldspars in varying proportions. These rocks are classified according to the relative percentages of quartz, alkali feldspar, and plagioclase (the QAPF classification), with true granite representing granitic rocks rich in quartz and alkali feldspar. Most granitic rocks also contain mica or amphibole minerals, although some (known as leucogranites) contain almost no dark minerals.
Granite is almost always massive (without internal structures), hard and tough. These properties have made granite a widespread building stone throughout human history.
The word “granite” comes from the Latin granum, grain, in reference to the coarse-grained structure of such a completely crystalline rock. Granitic rocks consist mainly of feldspar, quartz, mica and amphibole minerals that form an interconnected, somewhat equigranular matrix of feldspar and quartz with interspersed darker biotite mica and amphibole (often hornblende) mottled with the lighter colored minerals. Sometimes some individual crystals (phenocrysts) are larger than the main mass, in which case the texture is known as porphyry. A granite rock with a porphyry texture is known as granite porphyry. Granitoid is a general, descriptive field term for lighter, coarse-grained igneous rocks.
Throughout its history, MRAMOR BERKSTONE factory has processed granites, from which dozens of monuments and the whole country were made. Due to the negligible production, granite in Bulgaria is currently imported from abroad, as we have machines for its processing and can urgently organize the import of various types of granite from our long-standing foreign partners.
