At Counter Effect...we encourage our customers, if time permits to pick marble & granite out by the slab.
Samples are representative of color and pattern, however the veining that occurs naturally in stone is truly appreciated when looking at a slab......
Marble... is a metamorphic rock resulting from the recrystallization of limestone. Commercially, however, all calcareous rocks produced by nature and capable of taking a polish are called marbles, as are some dolomite and serpentine rocks. (See "Glossary" for clarification.) The groupings – A, B, C, and D – should be taken into account when specifying marble, for all marbles are not suitable for all building applications. This is particularly true of the comparatively fragile marbles classified under Groups C and D, which may require additional fabrication before or during installation. These four groups are: GROUP A: Sound marbles with uniform and favorable working qualities; containing no geological flaws or voids. GROUP B: Marbles are similar in character to the proceeding group, but with less favorable working qualities; may have natural faults; a limited amount of whizzing, sticking and filling may be required. GROUP C: Marbles with some variations in working qualities: geological flaws, voids, veins and lines of separation are common. It is standard to repair these variations by one or more of several methods–whizzing, sticking, filling or cementing. Liners and other forms of reinforcement are used when necessary. GROUP D: Marbles similar to the preceding group, but containing a larger proportion of natural faults, maximum variations in working qualities, and requiring more of the same methods of finishing. This group compromises many of the highly colored marbles prized for their decorative values. |
Natural Stone Edges 
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| |  Granite....Igneous rock of visible crystalline formation and texture. It is composed of feldspar (usually potash feldspar and plagioclase) and quartz, with a small amount of mica (biotite or muscovite) and minor accessory minerals, such as zircon, apatite, magnetite, ilmenite, and sphere. Granite is usually whitish or gray with a speckled appearance caused by the darker crystals. Potash feldspar imparts a red or flesh color to the rock. Granite crystallizes from magma that cools slowly, deep below the earth's surface. Exceptionally slow rates of cooling give rise to a very coarse-grained variety called pegmatite. Granite, along with other crystalline rocks, constitutes the foundation of the continental masses, and it is the most common intrusive rock exposed at the earth's surface.
Although granite has been known as igneous rocks derived from, molten masses or magmas, but there is wide evidence that the origin of some granite may be attributed to regional metamorphism or preexisting rocks, rearrangement and recrystallization taking place without a liquid or molten stage. Normally granite is classified in three different groups: FINE GRAIN: Fine grain granites are those which the feldspar crystals average about 1/16 - 1/8" in diameter. MEDIUM GRAIN: Medium grain granites are those in which the feldspar crystals average about 1/4" in diameter. COARSE GRAIN: Coarse grain granites are those in which feldspar crystals average 1/2" , and greater diameter or several centimeters in maximum dimension. Coarse grain granites may have a lower density. In recent years about 83 percent of the stone used for monuments has been granite, about 17 percent, marble. | | | | |
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