What types of black granite are exported from China?

In China, Shanxi Black granite undoubtedly reigns supreme among black granites. Within the same mine, there are further subdivisions: Shanxi Black, Fengzhen Black, and China Black. Shanxi Black is primarily produced in Hunyuan County, Shanxi Province. Different mines produce Shanxi Black granite, resulting in variations in quality and color. There are two main types of Shanxi Black granite: one with gold flecks (golden spots), and the other without. Currently, the main production areas for Shanxi Black granite include the Cai Liangshan Mine.

Why is Shanxi Black granite so expensive?

The high price of Shanxi Black granite is due to several factors. Firstly, environmental policies in China have led to the closure of most mines. Secondly, the mountains in Shanxi Black mines are fractured, making large-scale quarrying impossible. The usual method involves using explosives to loosen the rock, followed by excavation. Therefore, the raw stones of Shanxi Black granite are generally irregular in shape, resulting in a low yield and increased transportation costs. Additionally, the small size of the raw stones makes it difficult to produce large-sized tombstones. Tombstones exceeding 1.2 meters in length become difficult to produce finished products, leading to higher prices for large-sized tombstones. For this reason, Shanxi Black granite is suitable for the Russian tombstone market, as Russian tombstones are generally smaller, typically between 80-120cm in length. Shanxi Black granite is particularly suitable for tombstone bases, strips, and granite vases. Compared to imported granite, Shanxi Black granite has shorter transportation distances, giving it a price advantage in tombstone accessories. Furthermore, the products are undyed and of superior quality.

Why does Shanxi Black granite have color variations?

This is because most raw Shanxi Black granite stones are oval-shaped, making them individual stones. As we know, no two stones are exactly alike. Each stone, when cut, will have slightly different patterns, some with finer patterns, others with larger patterns.

Does Shanxi Black granite need dyeing?

Shanxi Black granite is hard, achieving a polished gloss level of over 110 degrees. It has very low moisture content and permeability, typically requiring no dyeing. However, it cannot be ruled out that some vendors may dye larger patterns on Shanxi Black granite to achieve color consistency. What are the differences between Shanxi Black granite and China Black granite?

Shanxi Black granite and China Black granite come from the same vein and are geographically close. Shanxi Black granite is located in Hunyuan County, Shanxi Province, while China Black granite is located in Fuping County, Hebei Province. In terms of quality, Shanxi Black granite is superior. China Black granite, also known as Hebei Black granite, is also a high-quality stone, typically with a slightly greenish base color. China Black granite is slightly cheaper. Like Shanxi Black granite, it is difficult to produce large-sized tombstones from China Black granite; it mainly supplies the domestic Chinese market and the Russian market.

What is the quality of Fengzhen Black granite?

Fengzhen Black granite is located in Fengzhen City, Ulanqab City, Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region. The quality of Fengzhen Black granite is comparable to Shanxi Black granite, making it one of the best granite products in China. Due to environmental policies, the production of Fengzhen Black granite is very small, and it is mainly targeted at the Russian tombstone market. It is also suitable for small-sized tombstones and tombstone accessories. 

What is the quality of Yixian Black granite?

Yixian Black granite is mined in Yixian County, Baoding City, Hebei Province. Due to its coarser grain and less pure base color, Yixian Black granite is mainly used in the Chinese domestic market, with relatively small exports. The best quality granite comes from mine number Yixian Black 1136. Yixian Black flamed and washed granite slabs offer good value for money.

What is the quality of Wannianqing granite?

Wannianqing granite is located in Pingshan County, Shijiazhuang City, Hebei Province. Wannianqing granite has a green base color and uniform grain, requiring no dyeing. It holds a place in the Russian and American tombstone stone markets. Tombstones made from it have a unique style.

What is the quality of Binzhou Green granite?

Binzhou Green granite, also known as Beida Black, is mined in Meng County, Yangquan City, Shanxi Province. It is a mainstream stone in the Chinese tombstone stone market, known for its low price, black and white grain, and variety of large and small grain patterns. Its tombstone products are mainly exported to Russia and Poland. It's a mainstream material in the Polish tombstone market. In the Russian market, because tombstones often require portrait carvings, Binzhou bluestone, due to its inconsistent color and poor overall quality, is considered a low-end tombstone product.

What black stone does the Xiamen stone factory mainly use?

The Xiamen stone factory is geographically advantageous due to its proximity to Xiamen Port. However, it's far from high-end black stone production areas in China, such as Shanxi black stone. Therefore, using Shanxi black stone doesn't offer a price advantage for the Xiamen stone factory. It primarily uses imported stone, processing it and then exporting it. The main types of stone used include Indian black stone, Zimbabwean black stone, Mozambican black stone, Tanzanian black stone, and Zambian black stone. Among these, Zimbabwean black stone, with its square, large blocks, high cost-performance ratio, and large production volume, is particularly noteworthy. The high-end material used by the Xiamen stone factory is mainly Indian black stone. Indian black stone is also the primary raw material for granite vases. Therefore, sourcing granite vases in Xiamen offers no price advantage. This is because imported materials involve long shipping distances and high costs associated with customs clearance.

Where does the stone imported into the Azerbaijani tombstone market originate from?

The Azerbaijani, Georgian, and Armenian markets require large tombstone sizes, commonly 160cm*60cm*12cm. Shanxi black granite generally cannot meet these requirements, and even if it does, the price is very high, exceeding $3000 per cubic meter, making it less acceptable to overseas wholesalers. Currently, the main export sources to the Azerbaijani market are Indian black granite, Zimbabwean stone, and Xinjiang black granite.

What is the quality of Xinjiang black granite?

Xinjiang black granite, also known as Black Ice Flower, originates from mines located in Qinghe County, Altay Prefecture, Xinjiang. Benefiting from Xinjiang's geographical advantage of being close to Central Asia, Xinjiang black granite enjoys low transportation costs and holds a place in the Kazakhstani tombstone market. Xinjiang black granite, with its deep black base color, can be produced without dyeing and can be used to make large-sized tombstones. It is also exported to the Azerbaijani tombstone market. Xinjiang black granite is relatively dry, lacking the warm, smooth feel of other stones, and is prone to cracking, resulting in a lower yield.

What about the quality of Mongolian black basalt granite?

Mongolian black basalt granite, located in Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, is a high-quality basalt stone. It has a fine texture, uniform base color, excellent portrait effect, and extremely high cost-effectiveness. It is particularly suitable for the tombstone markets in Russia and Kazakhstan and is highly favored by customers in Russia and Central Asia. Furthermore, its geographical location allows for relatively low transportation costs.