What Granite Is The Hardest?
When choosing granite for your countertops, there are a variety of factors to consider, such as the strength of the stone. Every stone had its own strength rating, also known as Mohs hardness, which identifies the strength and hardness of every natural mineral. When compared to other stones, granite has a great hardness.
When choosing granite countertops for installation, hardness is a key factor in choosing the right stone.
What is the Hardness of Granite?
On the Mohs Hardness Scale, you can decide the strength and hardness of any mineral or material. The higher up on the 1-10 scale, the harder the mineral is. The lower you go on the 1-10 scale, the softer the mineral is. The softest material on the Mohs scale is soapstone, and the hardest is diamond.
On the Mohs scale, granite is rated between 6-7 with black granite being the hardest granite.
How is Hardness Determined?
Scratching is a technique used to measure the granite hardness scale. The material can scratch other materials and can be scratched by different materials. When two materials can scratch one another, it means they have the same hardness level on the Mohs scale.
Hard granite stone is rated higher if it can scratch another material but not be scratched by that material. If the material is scratched by another material but doesn’t scratch the other materials, it has a hardness rating that is lower. Other factors that come into play in determining the granite hardness scale are hue, luster, and crystal.
How Does Granite’s Hardness Compare to Other Stone?
When looking at the hardness of other stones, soapstone is the softest mineral, whereas diamond is the hardest. When you measure black granite on the Mohs scale, it ranks between a six and a seven.
On the Mohs scale, granite is harder than marble which ranks between a 3 and 4, but it is softer than quartzite, which ranks at a seven. There are all types of granite, such as black, yellow, brown, pink, and green, all of which rank around the same, at a 6-7 on the Mohs scale.
Check with your granite supplier on the hardness of the granite. They should be able to provide you with a quality report.
Granite Countertop Installation Services in Pittsburgh
Homeowners seeking
granite countertop installation in Pittsburgh can rely on Express Cabinet and Granite to get the job done right! Contact us today to learn more!
Owner at Express Cabinet & Granite
Owner of Express Cabinets and Granite, Dennis LI brings 10 years of experience with marble, quartz and granite countertops as well as cabinets and other facets of kitchen remodeling.
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