Rant: A simple granite slab identification turned into a three day puzzle

A client in Phoenix wanted to know if their kitchen counter was 'real' granite or a lookalike. I told them to do the scratch test with a key, expecting a quick answer. The key left a mark, which should mean it's softer than quartz, but then the acid test didn't react at all. I spent the next two days digging through old geology texts and calling a buddy who works in a quarry before we figured out it was a specific, dense gneiss that polishes up like granite but has different properties. Has anyone else had a common test totally backfire on them?

2 comments

2 Comments

spencerh9520d ago

Ever have a project that should take five minutes and then eats your whole week? That scratch test is such a classic trap. It feels like a sure thing until the material decides to break all the rules. Sounds like you ran into the rock world's version of a glitch in the matrix. At least you got a good story out of it, even if it cost you three days.

miles_campbell3920d ago

Always run a second test on a fresh spot, just in case the sample's got a weird vein or something.