Rock Solid Entertainment: Top 11 Fun Facts About Granite You'll Love to Discover

1. Radon-ioactive Countertops

Your countertop has a secret life: it's part Radon-ioactive! That's right, folks. The luxurious slabs of granite adorning your kitchen may actually contain traces of radioactive elements like uranium and thorium, causing a slight increase in background radiation levels. But don't worry, these rockin' radioactives are still considered safe for everyday use.
Source => ncse.ngo

2. Egyptian Granite Fashion

Before hieroglyphics blazed the Egyptian catwalk, sporting the season's trendiest amulets, feathers, and necklaces was all the rage: Ancient artisans concocted a stylish mix of granite, diorite, basalt, and other minerals with natron and water to create eye-catching stoneworks and hieroglyphics, casting intricate details and making their masterpieces look like they were carved straight out of Egyptian Vogue.
Source => medium.com

Did you know that basaltic rocks have a secret weapon against CO2? They can turn it into solid minerals, providing a revolutionary solution for greenhouse gas storage! 🌍✨ Discover how this was tested in Iceland with a 90% success rate.

=> Fun Facts about Rocks

3. The Dark Side of the Stone

Don't be fooled by the Dark Side of the Stone: black granite isn't really granite at all! In an unexpected geologic twist, it turns out this sleek, alluring rock must contain at least 20% quartz to join the granite club, but a true black stone doesn't make the cut. Instead, it's more likely gabbro, a basaltic lookalike comprised of pyroxene and plagioclase minerals, adding geologic flair to your countertops.
Source => trendstonenz.co.nz

4. Flintstones' Rock Star

If the Flintstones had a favorite rock star, it would've been Granite – the down-to-earth, versatile, and ever-sexy slab of igneous delight: The Mount Rushmore National Memorial, among many other impressive structures, proudly flaunts its granite ensemble, proving that this fabulous rock never goes out of style.
Source => msnucleus.org

5. Nothing Taken for "Granite"

When it comes to granite, nothing is taken for "granite": This sturdy and versatile rock is not only resistant to decay, fire, and frost, but it's also stunningly beautiful with a variety of colors and patterns, making it a popular choice for kitchen countertops, floor tiles, monuments, and stylish interior and exterior design.
Source => quantbuild.co.ke

6. Granite on the Mohs Scale

If diamonds are a countertop's best friend, then granite sure knows how to rock a party: ranking 6 to 7 on the Mohs hardness scale, this durable and resistant showstopper is the perfect addition to high-traffic areas like kitchens, and has quite the ancient history, having been formed over millions of years from cooled magma!
Source => choicegraniteandmarble.com

7. Granite's Rock Tinder Profile

If granite had a profile on Rock Tinder, it would surely boast about its sculpted abs, chiseled monuments, and rock-solid commitments: This ultra-hard stone, composed of quartz, feldspar, and mica, not only has a smashing good look with its crystalline structure, but also dominates areas such as building materials, countertops, and outdoor landscapes, thanks to its resistance to weathering and erosion.
Source => nationalgeographic.org

8. 50 Shades of Granite

Step aside, 50 Shades of Grey, and make way for the real showstoppers: Sardinian White, Cristal White, and African Red - the seductive stars of the granite world! Put down that romance novel, and feast your eyes on these sultry stones: Each type of granite has its own unique composition and appearance, with diverse grain structures and color intensities, making them not only functional building materials but also adding a touch of elegance and flair to any interior or exterior space.
Source => quantbuild.co.ke

9. Mount Rushmore's #AgingGracefully

If Mount Rushmore were a friend on social media, it would be winning the #AgingGracefully challenge: The granite at Mount Rushmore erodes at a snail's pace of about 1/10 inch per one thousand years, making it a highly resistant rock. This slow erosion is mainly due to frost wedging and to prevent it, the monument's cracks are filled with a silicon solution to keep water from sneaking in and causing more mischief.
Source => nps.gov

10. Granite, the Rock Idol

You might say granite is truly a "rock star" in the world of geology, constantly stealing the spotlight with its stunning beauty and magnificent formations: This rock idol, a gift from Mother Nature, not only graces our countertops and monuments, but is also one of the most abundant rocks on Earth, impressing us with its grand presence in national parks like Yosemite and Acadia, sculpted gloriously from cooled and solidified magma deep below the surface.
Source => nps.gov

11. Earth's Wet and Stony Party

You might call Earth the "Life of the Party" on the planetary dancefloor, thanks to its love for getting "wet and stony": Granite, crucial for the formation of continental crusts and our very existence, owes its existence to water helping basalt transform at 750°C deep within the Earth's crust, according to a study in Nature Geoscience. Without this steamy process, we wouldn't have continents or complex life forms shimmying around on them!
Source => geodynamics.curtin.edu.au