Cardigan White is a fine-grained Brazilian granulite from Colatina in the state of Espírito Santo, with a white to light grey base matrix, fine black biotite speckles and occasional garnet accents. Traded as a white granite — a high-strength, frost-resistant dimension stone for kitchen worktops, floors, stairs, external paving, façade cladding and prestige interior and exterior architecture.
Petrographisch ein Granulit, im Handel als Granit geführt.
Other trade names: Bianco Cardigan, Branco Cardighan, Branco Polar, Rio Branco
About Cardigan White
Cardigan White is the English trade-name variant of the Brazilian granulite Bianco Cardigan — a classic representative of the white fine-grained granulites from the state of Espírito Santo. It is characterised by a predominantly white to light grey, very finely and evenly crystalline base matrix, interspersed with fine black biotite and magnetite speckles and occasional red garnet accents, which give the slab a subtle, lively depth without disturbing the calm overall image. At ROSSITTIS we carry Cardigan White for kitchen worktops, floors, staircases, façade cladding, external paving, plinth details, pool surrounds, wall cladding, vanity tops, monuments and project-specific bespoke work.
Geologically, Cardigan White is a Precambrian fine-grained granulite from the quarry regions around Colatina in the state of Espírito Santo in south-eastern Brazil. Granulites belong to the family of high-grade metamorphic rocks — they form under very high pressures and temperatures in deeper crustal zones, where their crystalline structure is consolidated by complete recrystallisation. In the international stone trade, granulites are consistently listed as “granite”, because they behave technically and in fabrication like classic granites — the petrographic classification as a granulite is the geologically correct designation. Mineralogically, microcline (40–45 per cent) and plagioclase (20 per cent) dominate as the main feldspars, supplemented by quartz (30–35 per cent) and around 5 per cent garnet as an accent mineral; the garnets produce the fine red-burgundy sparkle in the slab. The Bianco Cardigan / Cardigan White trade group comprises two DNSA-registered variants from the Colatina area: BRANCO POLAR (DNSA 905, with a full technical data sheet) and RIO BRANCO (DNSA 1335). The designations Branco Polar, Rio Branco and Branco Cardighan are also common in the market.
The technical values from the DNSA entry place Cardigan White clearly in the class of robust hard stones: compressive strength 168 MPa, compressive strength after freeze-thaw loading 166 MPa (very low loss of strength), flexural strength 15.1 MPa, thermal linear expansion 0.69 mm/m/100K. Acid resistance is given within the normal range of use — wine, lemon juice or vinegar leave no etch marks. Frost resistance is confirmed by the DNSA; a polish is durable outdoors. The massive (non-directional) structure of the material makes it very flexible in planning terms — the slab shows no pronounced lines of movement or veins, which makes it easier to lay across large areas without visible transitions. Compared with classic Indian white granites such as Kashmir White or Colonial White, Cardigan White is more homogeneous and calmer, without the pink-grey clouds of movement typical of the Indian types; compared with Chinese white granites such as Plum Blossom White, the mineral pattern is more restrained.
At ROSSITTIS, Cardigan White is available as a raw slab (random-size slab), as a floor tile, as a tread and riser, as a window sill, as a skirting, as a paving stone, as a façade element, as a pool surround and as a project-specific cut to size; likewise as a kitchen worktop and vanity top. The surface finishes available in stock are listed in the »Finishes« block further down.
Our honest assessment: Cardigan White is a very coherent choice for projects looking for a calm, light, planning-friendly white granulite with a restrained garnet accent — a material with a clear classic character and no strong will of its own. The high compressive strength (168 MPa, 166 MPa under freeze-thaw loading) and the low degree of movement make the material particularly interesting for large projects with many individual slabs — façades, large floor areas, staircases — where a calm, even material appearance is required. For projects that call for a strong material signature with pronounced veins or clouds of movement, a more expressive Brazilian granite such as Bianco Romano or an Indian material such as Kashmir White is the better choice.
In stock
Current availability from our warehouse.
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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.
Cardigan White 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.
Care & fabrication
As a Brazilian granulite of the granite family, Cardigan White can be maintained over the long term and cleaned without difficulty. For kitchen worktops, external paving and heavily used floor areas we recommend sealing on a silane or polysiloxane basis as protection against red wine, coffee, oil and tomato sauce — with a predominantly white material such as Cardigan White, sealing is particularly worthwhile, because stains stand out visually more strongly on a light ground than on dark stones. Routine cleaning is done with a pH-neutral natural stone cleaner and a soft microfibre cloth or mop; clear water alone is almost always enough for daily care. You should avoid strongly alkaline heavy-duty cleaners, acidic products such as vinegar or lemon cleaners, and abrasive scouring pads. Outdoors, Cardigan White is frost-resistant and tolerates road salt — salt residues should be rinsed off with water in spring. We recommend refreshing the sealer every three to five years depending on use, more frequently on kitchen worktops and exposed external surfaces.
Frequently asked questions
What other names does Cardigan White go by?
The material is traded under several names: Cardigan White (the main English designation), Bianco Cardigan (the Italian variant), Branco Polar (DNSA 905, one of the two DNSA-registered variants), Rio Branco (DNSA 1335, the sister variant from the same Colatina quarry area) and Branco Cardighan. All of these designations refer to the same Brazilian granulite family from Espírito Santo.
Is Cardigan White a granite or a granulite?
Petrographically, Cardigan White is a granulite — a high-grade metamorphic rock from deeper crustal zones with a predominantly feldspar-quartz mineralogy and small garnet fractions. In the international stone trade the material is consistently listed as a “white granite”, because in fabrication, care and use it behaves like a classic granite: high compressive strength, low water absorption, frost-resistant, acid-resistant in everyday use.
What technical values does Cardigan White have?
From the DNSA entry (BRANCO POLAR, DNSA 905): compressive strength 168 MPa, compressive strength after freeze-thaw loading 166 MPa (very low loss), flexural strength 15.1 MPa, thermal linear expansion 0.69 mm/m/100K. Acid resistance within the normal range of use, frost resistance confirmed by the DNSA, polish durable outdoors.
Which surface finishes are available for Cardigan White?
The surface finishes available in stock are listed in the »Finishes« block on this page.
Is Cardigan White suitable for kitchen worktops?
Very much so. With a compressive strength of 168 MPa, a high post-freeze compressive strength of 166 MPa and acid resistance, Cardigan White copes with everyday cooking, contact with water and heavily used kitchen surfaces. Wine, lemon juice or vinegar leave no etch marks. Because of the light base colour we recommend particularly careful sealing, so that strongly colouring substances such as red wine, coffee or oil leave no visible traces on the light surface.
Cardigan White or a more expressive Brazilian granite — which suits better?
Cardigan White is a calm, planning-friendly white granulite with a restrained garnet accent — ideal for large projects with many individual slabs where an even material appearance is required. More expressive Brazilian granites such as Bianco Romano, White Galaxy or Bianco Antico show pronounced clouds of movement, veins or larger mineral fields — these are the better choice for projects that call for a strong material signature and deliberate material drama.
Where is Cardigan White quarried?
Cardigan White comes from the quarry regions around Colatina in the state of Espírito Santo in south-eastern Brazil. Espírito Santo is one of the most important natural stone producing regions of Brazil and supplies a broad range of fine-grained white granulites and granites for the international market.
