Where Does Granite, Marble & Quartz Come From and Where Does Spectrum Stone Designs Install Natural Stone?

Deep below the earth’s surface, a molten core boils. Outside of that liquid core, a hard crust forms the planet’s shape and surface. As that crust changes composition (either through a temperature change or movement), rock is formed. That rock is then quarried and transported as large slabs to Spectrum Stone Designs, where we fabricate natural stone into countertops, fireplace surrounds or tiles for your home or business.

The entire earth is covered by three distinct forms of rock: sedimentary, igneous and metamorphic.

• Due to weather or erosion, sediment (such as gravel or sand) is transported by water, wind or gravity where it is deposited in a new location. When that sediment settles and combines with other minerals, it forms rock. Rocks formed by such deposits are called sedimentary rocks and cover the majority of the earth’s crust. Sedimentary rocks create a thin veneer covering both igneous and metamorphic rocks.
• When magma or lava cools, it forms igneous rock. The grains of igneous rock are formed under immense pressure and fit together very closely, making it one of the hardest types of rock on earth. Granite is a form of igneous rock and quartz is a type of granite.
• Metamorphic rock forms when other types of rock change due to heat or pressure. For example, an earthquake can cause movement of the earth, burying or squeezing rock. When rocks are buried or squeezed, they are subject to great heat and pressure, causing physical and / or chemical changes that create an entirely new type of rock. Marble is a form of metamorphic rock.

Depending on how quickly rock cools, a piece of granite may have different textures. Granite that forms nearer to the earth’s core cools slowly with larger crystals, giving it a lighter color. Granite that cools faster closer to the earth’s surface has smaller crystals and is usually darker in color. Darker color granites usually come from Brazil, India, Saudi Arabia or Italy. The size of the mineral grains in the cooled rock determine the crystals in the stone’s texture, giving it that sparkle and making each piece unique. The combination of varied cooling temperatures and different sizes of mineral grains in natural stone creates granite in a variety of colors and patterns. 

Marble, a form of metamorphic rock, is created when mineral or crystals combine with other stone causing recrystallization. When very pure limestone and dolomite protolith combine, pure white marble is formed. Mineral impurities such as clay, salt or sand in the marble cause the characteristic swirls and veins often seen in marble. Marble is mined in Europe (Italy, Greece, Spain, Ireland, England and Sweden), Russia and the United States among a few other countries.

At Spectrum Stone Designs, we only select top quality pieces of stone. We then use precision templating, expert cutting and polishing before professionally installing the stone in your home. Based in Concord, Virginia, Spectrum Stone Designs is Lynchburg’s leading fabricator of natural stone. Spectrum Stone Designs serves all of Central Virginia, providing countertops, surrounds and tiles to Farmville, Midlothian, Charlottesville, Forest, Bedford, Moneta, Smith Mountain Lake, Hurt, Alta Vista, Vinton, Rice, Albermarle County, Appomattox, Amelia, Lexington, Shipman, Buckingham, Lynchburg and Roanoke. Spectrum Stone Designs strives for excellence in craftsmanship and customer service. For more information on Spectrum Stone Designs, please visit www.spectrumstonedesigns.com.