Granites

The world famous Galaxy Granite deposit is located in Chimakurthy, R.L.Puram, Budawada and Devarapalem villages of Chimakurthy Mandal, Prakasam District. The quarry zone lies in between 23rd to 26th KM stone on either side of Ongole – Nandyala State High Way road. The active quarry zone falls in Survey of India Toposheet No. 57 M/14 and lies in between the N15O35I15II – 15O35I20II North latitude and 79O48I20II – 79O50I35II East longitudes.
Black galaxy granite is in the gabbro family of stone material and is sourced in the Ongole area of South India. The granite material is rated a 4.5 on the Moh’s scale of hardness, which is considered relatively hard. There are harder building materials, such as quartz, but granite is durable enough to withstand most common use. The material can have a dark black background, a greenish/black shading, or have some white in the background. Some lower quality material may have lines running throughout. The beautiful and distinguishing factor of black galaxy granite is the metallic flecks, caused by the presence of broncite, and can come in a few varying grades:

  • Large grained
  • Medium grained
  • Small grained

These grades are based on the size of the flecks. Large grain is typically more highly desired, but is rare and more expensive. Galaxy granite is most commonly used in flooring, staircases, and countertops. The durability and beauty of the material are traits that usually put it in an area that is highly trafficked and will be seen by many. A highly polished finish accentuates the contrast and depth of colors and is most common, but flamed, honed, river-washed, and brushed finishes can also be applied to great effect. Black Galaxy granite is a tough material that can take daily use and doesn’t require heavy maintenance. When used in high traffic areas, though, there is a possibility of scratching. Dust, sand, and debris can all cause scuffs and scratches that might show prominently on the dark colored surface. While granite is an incredibly hard and tough material, care still needs to be taken, especially around the edges and corners. It is a fairly brittle material, capable of being cracked or broken if struck sharply with a hard object. There are several things to consider when assessing the quality of a selection of black galaxy granite, but the three that have the biggest impacts on price and overall visual quality of the stone are lines (veins), galaxy size, and galaxy distribution. Being a natural stone material, black galaxy granite can have lines or veining running through it. This quality is what gives marble it’s beauty, but it not as desired in galaxy granite. The ratings of lines are typically laid out in the following order:

  • Grade A – no lines
  • Grade B – one or two black lines
  • Grade C – more than two black lines
  • Grade D – many black and white lines

The colored flecks of broncite are referred to as “galaxy,” and the size of galaxy has an impact on the quality of the material. The desirability of the size is as following:

  • Large galaxy
  • Medium galaxy
  • Small galaxy