Granite is one of the strongest and most durable natural stones, making it a popular choice for various applications. It also comes in a wide range of colors, each with distinct characteristics and practical uses. Because it is highly resistant to scratches and stains, the granite slab is well-suited for countertops to outdoor paving. Understanding the different types of granite, categorized by color, origin, and practicality, can help you choose the right one for your project.
Granite: A Popular Choice Since the 1980s
Granite has remained a popular countertop choice for kitchens and bathrooms since the 1980s. This natural stone outshines marble when it comes to durability. It’s hardy, solid, and less porous. Did we mention it’s not nearly as prone to stains and etching? Granite is low maintenance and easy to clean, making it suitable for spaces like busy communal kitchens and bathrooms.
At Granite Selection, there is a vast selection of granite countertop colors that can be cut to any desired shape and size. These include classic and new styles, with some stone types that even look exactly like marble for diehard fans. As industry experts, we can assure you that granite countertops remain a pragmatic and popular choice, especially for bathrooms and kitchens that are frequented and used by many.
Granite Grades
Different types of granite color feature different levels of strength, thickness, and origins. Granite is graded based on quality, appearance, thickness, and origin. Buyers can compare durability, consistency, and cost using these grades.
- Entry-level granite: Visible natural imperfections, inconsistent veining, and thinner slabs (around ½”).
- Mid-quality granite: Better color consistency, medium thickness (¾”), and moderate natural variation.
- High-end granite: Uniform veining, minimal flaws, vivid colors, and thick slabs (typically 1¼”).
You’ll be able to choose the right type of granite for your project if you understand how granite is classified.
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Top Granite Colors and Their Applications
Here are some of the top granite types, categorized by color, origin, and practicality:
Black Granite
Absolute Black Granite: The most common yet strongest granite variant that is rich in biotite or hornblende. It features a uniform surface that looks sleek and has matte or glossy finish countertops. This is the type of granite commonly used in modern kitchens, commercial lobbies, kitchens, and work countertops.
Nordic Black Granite: Nordic Black granite is a homogenous stone with a large mineral structure that refracts light due to the mega crystals lying just below the surface. It contains tightly interlocking, metallic-colored grains and white veins that never fail to impress. Strong and durable, it makes a striking statement whether placed on top of light or dark cupboards. Functional and fashionable, it contains black, onyx, and charcoal colors that are lightly accentuated with pale grays and charcoals.
Desert Dream Granite: While considerably more pricey, Desert Dream is a premium granite stone exuding opulence. Its exquisite combination of black, gray, cream, burnt orange and gold patterning makes it one of the most stylish granite stones available. Durable and resistant, it’s ideal for those wanting drastic bathroom vanities and kitchen countertops. Intense and dramatic, Desert Dream is the type of stone that can act as a bold accent in a neutral kitchen or something more subtle in a moodier environment.
Black Galaxy Granite: Black Galaxy granite is a newer stone that became popular for its durability and beauty in the last 40 years or so. Due to bronzite deposits, its copper, gold, and white flecks shine radiantly when exposed to light. This stone produces a powerful visual statement and is often used in staircases, flooring, and countertops. Like all granite, it fares well in high-traffic areas and is low maintenance. Black Galaxy has a deep black background, with greenish/black shading and occasionally a bit of white in the background. Its metallic flecks are better accentuated when highly polished, but the stone also looks beautiful with a matte finish.
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White Granite
White Granite Countertops: White granite kitchen countertops embody refinement and elegance. They come in various shades, making it easy to find a stone that suits your design preferences. While it’s impossible to purchase “pure” white slabs, their flecks and irregular markings add to their unique character. Color-wise they offer the most compatibility and look stylish on top of almost any kitchen cupboard color.
Andromeda White Granite: Andromeda White granite provides an ultra-modern look, offering a subtle variation from pure white countertops. It’s used for mosaic, fountains, pool and wall capping, stairs, window sills, and of course, kitchen countertops. This speckled white and beige stone has gray veins, as well as small streaks and black grain throughout. It’s effortlessly dynamic and suits traditional and modern kitchens. The mid-level variation present within the stone provides texture and character to all-white kitchens without detracting from neutral design palettes.
Colonial White Granite: This off-white granite has brown and rose-colored flakes, with smokey gray patches accented by dark black speckles. The granules in Colonial White granite are generally less than 0.5 centimeters, providing relatively even subtle and even patterning. As a vanilla-colored stone, it works well with dark and light kitchens. It creates a warm, welcoming atmosphere and complements darker spaces. Many have commented its markings look similar to the patterns found in cookies and cream ice cream. It’s an attractive option if you’re a fan of white countertops with light wooden cabinets but prefer something warmer than cold, white tones.
Alaska White Granite: Alaska White granite contains denser amounts of Onyx dispersed throughout the stone than Colonial and Andromeda White granite, making it the most dramatic of the three white granite varieties. Its pale silver and frosty whites are underscored by less uniform tints of brown, varying from light to dark. These gray patches vary in color and size and compose between 40-50% of the stone’s mass. Its uneven patterns of white and silver with large swirls of gray and black gives it a modern, eclectic feel. This cool, icy granite works well with white, black, blue, brown, and gray cabinets.
Jinjiang White Granite: Its neutral white color and beautiful patterns make it a popular choice for outdoor applications such as paving, walkways, patios, and walls. The durability and strength of the granite make it suitable for various weather conditions and heavy foot traffic.
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P White Granite: Granite is a durable and heat-resistant natural stone that is suitable for outdoor use. It can withstand high temperatures and is not affected by extreme weather conditions such as UV rays, direct sunlight, or heat.
Blue Granite
Blue Granite Kitchen Countertops: Blue granite kitchen countertops provide a sense of calm in exterior spaces. Often compared to the ocean, their swirling patterns evoke dynamic movement on kitchen surfaces and add tranquility to bathrooms. Their color intensity and patterns range from deeply saturated blues and strong veins to lighter and more muted tones, depending on what look you’re after.
Amadeus Granite: Dominated by black and gray with beautiful dark red and green shades, Amadeus is a medium-grained granite stone. Like a musical overture, its dramatic veining swirls and flows across its surface, generating a dense pattern that almost looks as though it’s moving water. It’s ideal for those desiring kitchen countertops with darker markings. Amadeus granite adds splendor and flow to otherwise static countertop surfaces. It’s a creative option for large spaces as its kinetic sweeps of blue tones against a pale background can be overbearing for smaller spaces unless you want a statement countertop.
Blue Pearl Granite: Pearl Blue Granite’s distinct markings look a bit like short brush marks. It contains a large percentage of duck-egg blue blotches against a dark gray to a black background. Distinctive and rare, Blue Pearl does have varying undertones. Its pattern is not always densely packed; certain areas of the stone may have lighter blue textures than others contributing to its dazzling look and feel. As coarse-grained granite, its feldspar crystals reflect light causing an iridescently magical effect that mimics mother-of-pearl. This captivating stone with blue overtones is an eye-catching alternative to black and white granite.
Brass Blue Granite: Admired from afar, Brass Blue granite reads like an aerial view of large sea swells. It has a dark background with white patches and smaller swirls of gray and black. Brass Blue granite also contrasts with gold and copper fixtures, whereas brass fixtures and decor accessories will bring out its natural tones. It is suitable for interior and exterior applications. It is a medium variation granite stone whose various sized blue veins running across its surface produce a deep elegant pattern accentuated by sharp fragments. This beautiful granite has a cool undertone that works well in most interiors, especially for those who are fond of blue.
Gold Granite
Gold Granite Colors: Statement gold home accessories and accents remain trendy this season. Gold granite is a top choice for those who like warmer tones like cream, yellow, brown, and ocher hues remain consistent in most gold granite colors. Gold granite colors complement both white and moodier kitchens, especially those kitchen cupboards of the black and dark green variety.
Almond Gold Granite: This stone has amber hues accented by rich nut-brown and umber. Almond Gold blends well with wooden countertops, warm interiors, and more traditional design aesthetics. It features a “chunk” effect throughout as opposed to veins and waves. Some even notice tinges of green within its genial glow. This deep-colored stone enriches homes as its light colors boost the energy within a kitchen, living area, or bathroom. Even though gold is bold, the speckles don’t override other design elements and can soften a metallic-looking space. It’s one of those popular granite colors that has seen increased popularity of late due to current muted tone design trends.
Picasso Granite: Picasso granite, also called “Crazy Horse,” will bring any kitchen or bathroom countertop, fireplace, or even flooring to life. Containing gray, gold, and brown with light and dark veins, it bodes well in contemporary spaces and classic spaces. Like Picasso’s artworks, this granite is dominated by disparity and contrast. Picasso granite uplifts a variety of materials from natural wood to synthetic surfaces. Even though its golden brown veining creates frenetic patterning, the multi-colored speckling gives this stone a cohesive, natural look, making it incredibly versatile. It offers traditional kitchens a bold edge while adding lightness to darker environments.
Namibian Gold Granite: The color of shimmering Nambian desert sand, this granite blends cool whites and grays together with warm creams and golds. Namibian Gold is an exotic-colored stone that combines well in warm environments, offering a natural glow to interiors. Installed in the appropriate space, this attractive natural stone brings rich desert hues indoors. Namibian Gold is a popular granite countertop choice for kitchens and bathrooms, whether used as a countertop or accented backsplash.
Amber Gold Granite: The base color of the granite is typically golden yellow, but it can also have variations of brown, cream, and grey. The intensity of the golden color can also vary, ranging from a light to a dark shade. Additionally, the veining patterns and the amount of speckles in the stone can differ, resulting in further variations in appearance.
Other Granite Colors and Types
- Kalahari Spring Granite: A light-colored natural stone quarried in South Africa. The surface is adorned with veins and mineral deposits in shades of beige, brown, rust, and subtle hints of gray and green, interspersed with multicolored veins. Kalahari Spring Granite's combination of aesthetics, durability, and versatility makes it a favored choice for both residential and commercial projects. It exhibits a warm, earthy appearance with a distinctive and captivating aesthetic.
- Grace Grey Granite: The price of Grace Grey Granite may vary depending on factors such as quality, origin, rarity, and demand.
- Ruby Red Granite: On average, a ton of cobblestones typically covers around 80 to 100 square feet. The coverage area of 1 ton of Ruby Red Granite cobblestone depends on the size and thickness of the cobblestones.
- Ink Painting Granite: It is a type of ink painting technique or style that originated in China. Chinas Ink Painting Granite does not have a grade since it is not a product that is graded based on a specific scale.
- Coliseum Granite: Brazils Coliseum Granite can be used outdoors as it is a natural stone with excellent durability and weather resistance properties. It can withstand extreme weather conditions, including heat, rain, and snow. This makes it an excellent choice for outdoor applications such as paving, facades, landscaping, and pool coping.
- Giallo Humaita Granite: Giallo Humaita Granite is a durable and versatile stone that is commonly used for a variety of landscaping purposes. It can be used for pathways, patios, pool surrounds, outdoor kitchens, retaining walls, and more.
- Sunset Gold Granite: Fruit juices can potentially stain the surface of Sunset Gold Granite if left on the table top for an extended period of time. It is important to clean up spills promptly to prevent staining.
- Red Deer Brown Granite: It is a durable and high-quality stone that can withstand extreme temperatures, making it a popular choice for outdoor projects such as cladding, paving, and landscaping. Additionally, it has a low porosity, so it is highly resistant to water absorption, making it an excellent choice for humid environments.
Here's a table summarizing the popular granite colors and their common applications:
| Granite Color | Common Applications |
|---|---|
| Absolute Black | Modern kitchens, commercial lobbies, work countertops |
| Andromeda White | Kitchen countertops, mosaic, fountains, stairs |
| Desert Dream | Bathroom vanities, kitchen countertops |
| Brass Blue | Interior and exterior applications |
| Namibian Gold | Kitchens and bathrooms |
| Kalahari Spring | Residential and commercial projects |
Granite Finishes
Granite also comes in different surface finishes. Different finish of the granite gives it a distinct appearance and durability.
Honed granite provides a matte surface with a low sheen, preferable to the stereotypical glossiness and high reflectivity associated with polished granite. Color enhancers can be added to honed stone for increased depth and richness. It offers a softer and more natural look while still retaining the character of the natural stone. This granite effect comes in satin, velvet diamond, and smooth matte finishes. To achieve this look, manufacturers stop the finishing process before the stone surface becomes shiny, leaving it with a matte or satin appearance. It looks different on every stone sample yet consistently delivers a smooth look, bringing out natural patterns.
Just make sure to buy the right type of granite according to your project requirements, aesthetics, design goals, and area of installation. Make sure to buy your granite from reputable natural stone suppliers.
Kitchen Granite | How to Choose the (Right) Granite for Kitchen Countertops ?
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