Unveiling Virginia Black Granite: A Stone Steeped in History and Beauty
Virginia Black Granite, the stone that tells a piece of American history.While wandering through the forests and valleys of Virginia, in the Blue Ridge Mountains, Pocahontas and John Rolf surely stood in front of the foothills of dark rocks. At that time, they probably had no idea that a few hundred years later, these rocks would have turned into quarries of Virginia Black, which is also called Virginia Mist or Jet Mist.
Although the name Virginia and the American continent remind us rather of the South with cotton plantations, of English colonies, of the Civil War and of Scarlett O’Hara from ‘Gone with the wind’, we are obviously talking about granite.
Structure and physical properties of the Virginia Black
Virginia Black is a homogeneous diabase with medium-sized grains. All in all, the colour of this material appears dark grey with a tendency to black, but it has a soft shade that is interrupted and highlighted by light and white dots.
The dotting appears bundled or cloudy, giving the Virginia Black slabs a certain atmosphere, like a starry sky on a moonless night.
Differences between diabase and granite
From a petrographic perspective, Virginia Black is not a granite, but basically a diabase like Nero Zimbabwe and Nero Africa. Diabase has less silicon dioxide, that is between 45% und 52%, and is therefore ranked amongst the basic rocks.
In contrast, the structure of granite contains at least 63% silicon dioxide and belongs consequently to acid rocks.
On the whole, this makes a diabase like Virginia Black harder and more resilient.
PHYSICAL TEST RESULTS
Polished | Honed | Leather | Brushed
Apparent Density:…………………………….23,053 kg/M³
Water Absortion:…………………………………………..0,10%
Resistance to Abrasion:………………………..58.53 (Ha)
Modulus of rupture:………………………………….28.75 MPa
Density:……………………………………………………3,053 Mpa
Use of the Virginia Black
Virginia Black shows that a diabase is a very hard and resistant material, particularly suitable for outer areas.
As Ground Zero Memorial testifies, this material has good frost resistance and low water absorption (0,1%). Thanks to its beauty, this material is often used for interiors, both in commercial and private buildings.
Large areas can be paved with Virginia Black, due to its dark colour and abrasion resistance. In combination with other light materials, Virginia Black highlights smaller areas. Elegant kitchen or vanity tops can be made of Virginia Black, as well as fireplaces or tabletops.
Regarding the processing, we think that a polished surface is the best finishing, as it emphasises the chromatic and aesthetic properties of this natural stone. This mainly applies to interior decoration, but sometimes a satined surface can be more effective. In outdoor areas, however, different variations of brushed surfaces are recommended.
All in all, this material is usable in many ways and brings a piece of American history to your home.
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