| absolute black granite to the future!!! or should that be basalt?锛�1锛� |
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issue time:2006-06-22 10:24
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Black is popular, black looks great, black is more expensive, Absolute Black granite has almost become the de facto standard for kitchen tops in some countries, therefore there will always be someone trying to make a quick buck at your expense by selling you an inferior material at the top notch price.
Petrographically, not all black granites are granites, some are basalt, however for generic commercial purposes they are all grouped under the granite name.
Basalts are dark colored, fine-grained extrusive rock. The mineral grains are so fine that they are impossible to distinguish with the naked eye or even a magnifying glass. They are the most widespread of all the igneous rocks. Most basalts are volcanic in origin and were formed by the rapid cooling and hardening of the lava flows. Some basalt are intrusive having cooled inside the Earth's interior.
The first common misunderstanding is that of all Absolute Black granites being the same material. They are not and they can vary widely in colour, quality and price!
The original Absolute Black, also known as Sutareboda, is the name for Swedish black granite which has been quarried for many years. Probably the most famous Swedish black granite is Ebony Black. It is very hard and durable, takes a beautiful polish and has an almost metallic "ringing" tone when struck with a hammer and chisel. It is also very expensive.
In 1962 Belfast Black granite from South Africa was first exported and shortly afterwards the trade in Italy started calling this granite Nero Assoluto, the literal translation being Black Absolute. Alternative names have been South African Ebony, South African Black and Prairie. Some of the Southern African granites can actually have a "rice-grained" effect similar to the Canadian Cambrian Black, and the less black qualities also a silver star reflector. Since the 1960's, Nero Assoluto has become the generic name for many black granites supplied from Italy including Angola, China, India, South Africa, Zimbabwe and many other countries, therefore unless one is specific the granite could actually be from anywhere!
Great care must be taken when purchasing Chinese black granites since these black granites have become very popular in the last few years owing to their much lower prices, however some of these black granites can be prone to "shakes" and "vents" and many unscrupulous processors/dealers, oil or apply dye to the material to hide these defects. This would give the granite an effect of fading and correctly polished black granite should not fade! The fading is nothing more than the dyes and oils being removed. Unfortunately the only solution is to re-polish the top and this can be costly.
Before purchasing a granite top perform the following test to find out if it has been doctored. Take a clean white rag and apply some acetone to the surface of the granite. If any residue or black colour is observed on the top, do not accept it, it has been dyed.
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