Black Silk is a Brazilian hard rock of the Cygnus/Sandalwood family with a deep black ground mass and characteristically flowing white quartz veins in diagonal, sweeping movements reminiscent of silk or a meteor shower. Internationally also carried as Black Silk Granite, Meteor Shower Granite, Black Cygnus Granite or 'Sandalwood Flying Snow' (檀香飞雪) — used for expressive kitchen worktops, bar counters, wall claddings, floor areas and prestigious statement internal and external surfaces with a dark, elegant material effect.
Petrographisch handelt es sich wahrscheinlich um einen Gneis mit hohem Quarzgehalt aus dem präkambrischen brasilianischen Schild — das technische Verhalten entspricht dem hochwertiger Granite und Quarzite. Im Steinhandel uneinheitlich geführt: einige Quellen klassifizieren als Granit, andere als Quarzit. Die Cygnus-/Sandalwood-Familie umfasst eine Gruppe verwandter brasilianischer Hartgesteine mit charakteristisch dunkler Grundmasse und kontrastreichen hellen Aderzeichnungen.
Other trade names: Black Cygnus, Black Cygnus Granite, Black Silk Cygnus Granite, Black Silk Granite, Cygnus Black Quartzite, Meteor Shower Granite, Sandalwood Black Granite, Sandalwood Blizzard Granite, Sandalwood Granite, Sandalwood Snow Granite, 檀香飞雪 (Tánxiāngfēi Xuě)
About Black Silk
Black Silk is an exceptionally designed Brazilian hard rock belonging to the Cygnus/Sandalwood family of dark Brazilian hard rocks. Brazil is one of the world's leading suppliers of exotic hard rocks, and the Cygnus family comprises numerous selections with a characteristically dark ground mass and contrasting pale vein figuring — Black Silk is the silky, fluid-looking variant with a particularly elegant material signature. On the international market the stone is carried under several parallel trade names: Black Silk, Black Silk Granite, Meteor Shower Granite, Black Cygnus Granite, Cygnus Black Quartzite and, on the Chinese market, under the poetic name 檀香飞雪 (Tánxiāng Fēi Xuě, 'sandalwood with flying snow'). The classification of the stone differs depending on the data source: some carry it as a granite, others as a quartzite. Petrographically the stone is probably a gneiss with a high quartz content — its technical behaviour corresponds to that of high-grade granites.
Geologically it is a metamorphic hard rock from the Precambrian Brazilian shield — a rock that formed from igneous or sedimentary parent rocks under high pressure and high temperatures and in doing so developed its characteristic fabric-oriented mineral arrangement with pronounced foliation. The deep black ground mass consists predominantly of biotite- and amphibole-rich mafic components; the flowing, fluid white vein figuring arises from quartzitic mineralisations and selected plagioclase components that were tectonically deformed during the metamorphic history and transferred into silky, flowing movement patterns. This metamorphic foliation is the essential characteristic of the stone and gives it its unmistakable 'Silk' character — the parallel white lines read like successive silky, flowing movements, almost like folds of fabric or a meteor shower in the night sky.
Visually, Black Silk is shaped by an exceptionally elegant, almost silky, flowing material signature. On a deep black to dark anthracite ground mass, diagonal, sweeping white to silvery grey vein figures spread out and run across the slab image like successive silky, flowing movements. The parallel lines generate a subtle directional movement in the slab image that can be used as an architectural design element depending on the direction of laying. Subtle silvery mica accents and occasional pale mineral flecks complement the material signature with fine touches of animation. Slab variation is moderate — the overall character in each delivery is dependable, while individual slabs show differences in vein density and directionality. With bookmatched laying — mirror-image laying of adjacent slabs — particularly impressive, almost textile-like symmetrical large-scale patterns arise.
Technically, Black Silk counts among the high-grade Brazilian hard rocks with the following characteristic values: bulk density 2630 to 2750 kg/m³, compressive strength 150 to 250 MPa (peak value 200 MPa, granitically high), flexural strength 10 to 15 MPa, water absorption below 0.5 %. These values qualify the stone for demanding internal and external applications including kitchen worktops, heavily trafficked floor areas, paving and facade claddings. Like all quartz-rich metamorphic hard rocks, Black Silk is largely acid-resistant to household acids such as lemon juice, vinegar, wine and cola — a central advantage over marbles and limestones. Heat resistance is outstanding.
In interior fit-out, Black Silk is a statement material for modern, darkly elegant and contemporary luxurious architecture. Classic applications are kitchen worktops in designer kitchens where a dark, elegant look is wanted, bar counter back walls and counter fronts, accent walls in living rooms, hotel lobbies and entrance areas, bathroom accent walls, table and console tops as statement furniture and fireplace surrounds with a dramatic effect. The deep black tonality with its silky, flowing white vein figuring harmonises particularly with pale timber in ash or birch, with clear white, with stainless steel, nickel and silver accents, with fair-faced concrete and with warm gold-accented design schemes — the stone is an expressive choice for modern urban-luxurious interior architecture. Outdoors, Black Silk is used as facade cladding, plinth slabs, stairs, paving and entrance areas — its granite-typical frost and acid resistance qualify it without restriction for Central European climatic conditions.
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Technical data
Guide values for the stone type, taken from manufacturer and test reports. Natural stone is a natural product — individual batches and slabs can differ. For critical applications, request slab-specific test data.
Black Silk is available in a range of finishes. The finish affects appearance, feel and the care it needs.
Poliert
Politur ist die klassischste Veredelung im Hartgesteinsegment — eine spiegelglatte, hochglänzende Oberfläche mit höchstmöglicher Farbintensität und maximaler Tiefenwirkung der Mineralstruktur. Als säurebeständiges Silikatgestein ist polierter Granit pflegeleicht und für Küchenarbeitsplatten, Wandverkleidungen und repräsentative Sichtflächen erste Wahl.
Satiniert
Die satinierte Oberfläche entsteht durch Bürsten, das weichere Minerale gezielt entfernt und der Fläche eine leichte Tiefe gibt. Mattes Erscheinungsbild mit subtiler Lichtreflexion und haptisch warmer Wirkung. Pflegeleicht, kratzunempfindlich und alltagstauglich — beliebte Alternative zur Politur in modernen Küchen und Wohnräumen.
Care & fabrication
As a Brazilian hard rock, Black Silk is decidedly easy to care for. Indoors, warm water with a pH-neutral stone cleaning agent is sufficient for daily cleaning; aggressive household cleaners, descalers containing citric acid and abrasive sponges are unnecessary and should be avoided. On polished kitchen worktops, sealing with a solvent-based sealer suitable for dark hard rocks is advisable after laying and every 2 to 3 years thereafter, in order to reduce the uptake of oil, grease and intensely coloured foods over the long term. With the dark material signature, water-drop rims and pigment stains are less visible than on pale stones, and proper sealing mitigates this risk further. Soiling should nevertheless be taken up promptly. Outdoors, regular cleaning with clear water and occasionally a soft brush is sufficient; where green growth appears in shaded positions, commercially available algae and moss cleaners can be used. Hot pans can be placed directly on the worktop — Black Silk is heat-resistant. De-icing salt in winter does the stone no harm and can be used, but it should be rinsed off thoroughly after the frost period in order to avoid salt crystallisation.
Frequently asked questions
What does the name 'Black Silk' refer to?
The marketing name 'Black Silk' refers to the silky, flowing material signature with its parallel white vein figuring, which flows across the black ground mass like successive silk threads. The metamorphic foliation of the stone generates this directional movement, which the marketing name captures perfectly. Black Silk, Black Silk Granite, Meteor Shower Granite and Black Cygnus Granite are synonymous trade names from parallel international marketing. On the Chinese market the stone is carried under the poetic name 檀香飞雪 ('sandalwood with flying snow').
Is Black Silk a granite or a quartzite?
In the stone trade Black Silk is occasionally carried as a 'granite' and occasionally as a 'quartzite' — the sources differ in their petrographic classification. Petrographically the stone is probably a gneiss (metamorphic rock) with a high quartz content from the Precambrian Brazilian shield. Its technical behaviour corresponds to that of high-grade granites and quartzites (high compressive strength, low water absorption, frost- and acid-resistant) — the exact petrographic classification is less relevant for practical application than the robust, granite-equivalent technical suitability.
What is the Cygnus/Sandalwood family?
The Cygnus/Sandalwood family comprises a group of Brazilian hard rocks with a characteristically dark ground mass and contrasting pale vein figuring, which are marketed under different marketing names depending on the supplier — Cygnus Black, Black Cygnus, Sandalwood Black and Black Silk belong to this family. The selections vary in vein intensity and direction of movement, but all share the basic character of a black ground mass with white quartz veins. Black Silk is the silky, fluid variant with a particularly elegant material signature.
Is Black Silk suitable for kitchen worktops?
Outstandingly. The granite-typical properties — acid resistance to lemon juice, vinegar and wine, high compressive strength (peak value 200 MPa), low water absorption (below 0.5 %) and heat resistance — qualify Black Silk without restriction for intensively used kitchen worktops. The elegant black-and-white look with its silky, flowing vein figuring makes it a choice for designer kitchens where a dark, elegant, contemporary material character is wanted. Sealing after laying and every 2 to 3 years thereafter is recommended.
Is Black Silk suitable for bookmatched laying?
Outstandingly. With mirror-image laying of adjacent slabs, the parallel vein figures create particularly impressive, almost textile-like symmetrical large-scale patterns — bookmatched laying makes Black Silk one of the most spectacular statement materials for wall claddings, bar counter back walls and prestigious accent walls in the finest interior architecture. The layout and the slab selection should be dry-laid before installation in order to achieve optimum symmetry.
Which slab formats are usual in Black Silk?
Standard large formats from the Brazilian quarries typically lie between 280 × 160 cm and 320 × 200 cm in thicknesses of 2 cm and 3 cm. Special thicknesses (1 cm and 1.5 cm for lightweight wall claddings, 4 cm and more for stairs, paving and solid applications) can also be sourced through ROSSITTIS. Please enquire directly about specific dimensions.
