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rantoniobz
Joined: 01 Nov 2012
Posts: 9
Location: Vitoria
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 Posted: Sep 04, 2013 11:03 Post subject: Re: Are Granite Countertops Always Made of Granite? |
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| John Medici wrote: | | Just a note on a recent stone countertop my family purchased. All salespeople we talked to called everything in the establishment "granite". The one we chose was definitely not granite or marble. It was mainly black swirls with some swirls and splotches of red (a combination of hematite and magnetite) with irregular veins of white quartz interspersed in it. On questioning a supervisor or two while trying to avoid being a pest, I came to the conclusion that it may have come from an iron mine (or stone slab mine) in Brazil. This may or may not be the case, but we have enjoyed having it, and one can take a magnet to it to find the zones of magnetite. |
John, I have worked with granite over the last 20 years. As a mining engineer, my knowledge of geology and petrology are far more limited then yours in this Forum. I was always attracted by new types of stones that come every year, bringing exotic rocks for the www.spam.org and countertops around the world. The granite to which you refer, is probably a banded iron formation which began operating in 2005 as ornamental, named "Iron Red". It comes from two sources, embedded in iron mines in the states of Minas Gerais and Para in Brazil. They for asymmetric bands of hematite and jasper (red). This is a very hard rock and heavy (obviously) that brought a lot of work for fabricators, who had to adapt their saws for working these slabs. Another exotic stone that is still in the market is "Vitoria Regia", which is a stone originated from pillow lavas. The most recent arrival to the stone industry are the huge quartz veins that have been turned into translucent slabs. It seems that there are no longer limits for the exploration of ornamental stones. State of the art equipment like diamond wire gang-saws, microwave heaters, epoxy resins and fully automatic polishing machines can make whatever comes from earth into beautiful shining slabs.
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Vitoria, Brazil
Iron Red slabs. |
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17404 Time(s) |
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Vitoria, Brazil
Iron Red slabs |
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17520 Time(s) |
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Vitoria, Brazil
Vitoria Regia slabs |
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17396 Time(s) |
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Vitoria, Brazil
Vitoria Regia slabs |
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17359 Time(s) |
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GneissWare
Joined: 07 Mar 2008
Posts: 1287
Location: California
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| Posted: Sep 04, 2013 12:04 Post subject: Re: Are Granite Countertops Always Made of Granite? |
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| I think I NEED that banded iron somewhere in my next house. The pillow basalts are neat too.
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Jean Sendero
Joined: 20 Dec 2009
Posts: 270
Location: Hudson Heights, Quebec
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| Posted: Sep 04, 2013 16:46 Post subject: Re: Are Granite Countertops Always Made of Granite? |
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Love the pillowed basalts. Just text book and it is like mapping an outcrop in the Abitibi.
I have followed this treat on and off and now have a simple word of advice in regards to what not to say and I place the emphasis on "what NOT to say" to freinds of yours that are neophyte in petrology and think that their brand new granite counter top is granite. I have learned by experience (twice) to never, never say to a proud new owner of a granite countertop that actually it is not granite but a gneiss or a labradorite or else.....they get very upset with you and blame you for the ignorance of the seller.
Cheers
J
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GneissWare
Joined: 07 Mar 2008
Posts: 1287
Location: California
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| Posted: Sep 04, 2013 18:07 Post subject: Re: Are Granite Countertops Always Made of Granite? |
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| I just tell them "your granite counter is very gneiss"
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trtlman
Joined: 28 Jun 2011
Posts: 172
Location: Washington
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| Posted: Sep 06, 2013 18:00 Post subject: Re: Are Granite Countertops Always Made of Granite? |
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That banded countertop is awesome. Would that be the same thing as banded agate? That's why I like is to much, it reminds me of agate
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