Is Granite A Gemstone

A key breakthrough was the invention of steam powered cutting and dressing tools by alexander macdonald of aberdeen inspired by seeing ancient egyptian granite.

Is granite a gemstone.

In order to get the slabs that are used to make bathroom and kitchen countertops large blocks of granite are extracted from quarries. Granite has been honored by many cultures particularly the aboriginal and mayan cultures as a sacred and powerful stone. Until the early 18th century in the western world granite could be carved only by hand tools with generally poor results. Granite is the rock most often quarried as a dimension stone a natural rock material that has been cut into blocks or slabs of specific length width and thickness.

Granite is typically heat resistant up to temperatures of 250 c 480 f although direct application of localized heat sources is discouraged since strong thermal gradients within the stone can initiate cracking. The exact amount of minerals is what creates the different colors and patterns in the beautiful slabs of granite you see. Granite is hard enough to resist abrasion strong enough to bear significant weight inert enough to resist weathering and it accepts a brilliant polish. Granite is a hard stone and requires skill to carve by hand.