The granite goes both by the name Bømlo-granite and Rolvsnes-granite or Rolvsnes-granodiorite. The colour varies from grey-beige to pale pink, and in addition, it can often have a pale reddish weathering colour. Small, black grains give the rocktype a speckled appearance. It is well suited for splitting and cutting. The granite in north Bømlo belongs to the southern part of the Sunnhordaland granite province. The province spans northward to Austevoll and Fana (Korsneset).
The majority of the Bømlo granite was shipped to Bergen, where it was used in several monumental buildings, such as the Kjøttbasaren (1874), the entryway into the old Bergen technical school on Strømgate Street (1876) (picture below), and, not least, the Sandviks Church from 1881 which is adorned with Bømlogranite. Most stunning, nonetheless, are the many stone staircases in Bergen from before World War I - not to mention, all of the curbstones in the sidewalks and the cobblestone pavements. "Bømlo-ers" are spread over the whole city.
