When you look at a slab of typical granite, you’re looking at mostly feldspar. Feldsparįeldspar is the most abundant mineral in the Earth’s crust, but it’s far from mundane because it occurs in a huge range of colors and forms. But many popular stones have big crystals in all kinds of patterns and colors, inviting curiosity about just what those minerals are all about. A smooth stone with small grains, like Absolute Black or Pietra Grey, doesn’t reveal much about specific minerals because you can’t see them. Given that minerals determine so much about a stone, it warrants a look at some of the more common minerals, how to spot them, and what they tell you about a stone.īefore we dive in, one important point is that you can only see individual minerals in coarse-grained stones. Is it flashy, or subtle? Is it a uniform color, or a melee of diverse ingredients?Īnd, of course, minerals dictate the properties of a stone: Hard or soft acid-resistant or acid-sensitive flaky, chunky, or smooth. Minerals also give each stone its personality. The color of every natural stone, whether it’s jet black, glittery silver, or a kaleidoscope of Technicolor – comes from the individual minerals. Minerals are the components of all natural stones.
Our thanks to Slabworks of Montana and Montana Tile and Stone for allowing us to explore and photograph their beautiful stone slabs.Ī handy guide to the ingredients of your favorite natural stone
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