Process

The process of extracting the granite from the ground begins with making a channel around the block to be quarried with a torch or water jet. Excavators then drill a line of holes along the bottom edge which is then packed with a primer cord or blasting material. The granite is blasted so it can be loosened and then “lifted” from the vein of granite. The extracted granite block has an average size of 30 feet in width and height and a depth of 10 feet. The workers will drill another series of holes in the block to further reduce its size using wedges and shims to break off more manageable pieces. The blocks are then lifted out of the pit or loaded on a fork truck and then removed depending on the quarries design and set up.

Granite is one of the hardest stones known to man and is naturally formed deep below the surface over thousand of years. Granite can be found in almost any area of the world. There are many uses for granite such as: counter tops, pillars, monuments, building materials, flooring, and many other uses. Not all granite found in the world is monument grade. Granite is widely found in the United States in Georgia, Oklahoma, South Dakota, Vermont, and many other states. Some of the granites used in the U.S. are imported from other countries.