Granite looks permanent because, in many ways, it is. It begins as molten rock deep below the surface, cools over huge spans of time, and later appears in mountains, quarries, monuments, kitchen counters, city curbs, and cemetery markers. Few natural materials connect geology, architecture, and daily life so clearly. This guide covers where granite comes from, how people have used it through history, why it became so popular, and how to care for it so it keeps its strength an