Don’t be surprised if you see gneiss labeled as “granite” at a cabinet shop or monument company. In the dimension stone trade, any rock with visible, interlocking grains of feldspar is considered to be “granite” in that industry.

Seeing gneiss, gabbro, labradorite, diorite, and other types of rock marketed as “granite” disturbs many geologists. However, this long-time practice of the dimension stone trade simplifies discussions with customers since not everyone knows the technical names of unusual igneous and metamorphic rocks.