Sunday, May 6, 2012

Slab Sunday: Absolute Black Polished granite

Absolute Black granite is quarried in several places around the world.  Most of what we purchase here in Utah is quarried from a bedrock quarry in India.

Absolute Black is a really hard, dense material.  It doesn't really change from bundle to bundle, so this would be the one stone color I'd say you don't have to select your exact slab.
Photo: Little Green Notebook
Not all black granites are created equal though.  They all look a little different, depending on what part of the world they come from.
There is a lot to be said about this and I am certainly not the expert.  This article from Eurasian Natural Stone is good, as is this article from Litos Online
Just beware that usually when you  buy cheap Absolute Black granite you are most likely getting an inferior product.  It is a fairly common (and illegal) practice for dealers to oil or dye the granite.  These granites will fade over time and are especially bad in outdoor applications.  If you are buying from reputable supplier and fabricator you shouldn't have any problems.  It's just that "you get what you pay for" adage coming up again.
Photo: Kitchens.com
Polished black granite is like a mirror (as you can see in the photo below).  It drives some people crazy, but some people love it.
I went into a home that had Absolute Black granite in their kitchen.  It had been in for 5 or 6 years.  The family has 8 kids (remember we're in Utah)!  :)  Anyway, I asked the homeowner if the polished black granite drives her crazy because you can see every little crumb on the countertop.
She replied that she actually likes it better than the lighter, busier granite in her home because she can actually see when it's dirty. 
That makes sense!  You just have to know your personality type before you decide on any stone.
Photo: Better Homes & Gardens
Wm. F. Holland/Architect/projects traditional kitchen

Photo: My Uncommon Slice of Suburbia
Other names for Absolute Black include: Luna Nero, Indian Premium Black, Premium Black, Jet Black and Black Absolute.
Photo: Live Breathe Decor
Photo: House Beautiful
 Absolute Black is available in 2 cm and 3 cm slabs as well as tile.
I've also done a Slab Sunday featuring Honed (matte finish) Absolute Black.  You can see that here.

1 comment:

Leigh said...

Could you please site a source for saying that dying or oiling granite is illegal? I've heard fabricators say that before ("Sometimes these are dyed" etc.) and even though it sounds super sketchy, no one had ever mentioned that being anything other than undesirable, not illegal.

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