Basalt is a volcanic rock and one of the most common types of rock in the world. Although it is common, it is rare to find the long solid columns of basalt that we use in our products. The skin or crust on the outside of the columns will have a patina that ranges from beige to red to black and will often contain a multitude of colors. The inside of basalt is black and polishes up to a rich luster.
It is a dense crystalline material, weighing in at 188 pounds per cubic foot, about 10% heavier than granite. In the state of Washington there are many basalt column formations. In some areas the flows cooled at a relatively rapid rate, forcing them to contract which caused horizontal fracturing. This gives basalt columns their unique 5 and 6 sided shapes.
The Volk’s columns are from Idaho and are from Columbia Basin outcropping along the Columbia River.
