Names have been changed to protect the granite
With many different types of stone, different names are also given to the same types of stone. For example; A commonly purchased type of black granite, is Shanxi Black, also known as Absolute, but called Shanxi Black, so it comes from that region of China.
A friend recently asked me what the difference was between Cosmos, Stargate, and Starlight Black. Well, first I told him that Starlight Black was not a natural stone; it is actually a man-made quartz product, with small segments of reflective chips scattered within it, whereas Cosmos and Stargate are natural, also noting that both Cosmos and Stargate are actually the same stone and have only been given different names. probably for the purpose of sales or marketing.
Accepting and understanding this is one of the key factors in understanding stone in a commercial setting. Once you know that different types of stone often have many different names, you can begin to filter these stone types into smaller categories so that a better understanding is achieved.
Another good example of where this occurs is with Black Pearl; Mined in India, this type of stone is also known as Emerald Black and has similar qualities to Angola Black granite. Unfortunately, consumers can get confused because one provider chooses one of the available names and another provider chooses another of the names. In years past I have met a few stone vendors, to create names for the stone they offer, to suit their own specific marketing purposes!
The following list details some of these stone types, offering an idea of how different their names may be.
- Antique Brown – also known as Marron Cohiha
- Rosa Sardo – also known as Rosa Beta
- Volga Blue – also known as Spectrolite
- Magic Green – also known as Baltic Green
- Giallo Veneziano – also known as Venetian gold
- Impalla – also known as Belfast Black
- Ivory Brown – also known as Sivakashi
As you can see in the list above; the names of the stone types can differ quite dramatically, especially in the Volga Blue example.
If you’re interested in learning a bit more about stone, visiting a local stone showroom is a good place to start. They will be able to give you the best advice on choosing the right stone to match your own room decor and will probably be able to give you some great advice on choosing the right type of stone for your specific requirements.
granite countertops [http://www.hartgranite.co.uk] can be purchased from HartGranite.co.uk. Based in Broxbourne, on the Hertfordshire and Essex border, they are able to supply and install worktops and other stone products in many locations across the UK.
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