Why Olympic curling stones are so expensive

This is the specific type of granite used to make the curling stones for the 2026 Olympic Games. But it's not just any type of granite. To show you what I mean, take a look at this map. Zoom into Scotland, and keep zooming, and zooming, and zooming, until you get to this small island. It's called Ailsa Craig, and it's the only place in the world where K.S. Scotland sources granite to make officially licensed Olympic curling stones. Because they only come from one place and only one company makes them, these stones cost a lot. It's about $960 for just one stone. That means a set of 16 costs more than $15,300. So what's so special about this granite? Well, the island's granite structure is the gold standard. So there's actually two types of granite that they source from the island. First, there's blue hone, which makes up the layer that runs along the ice. Then, common green is used for the part that strikes other stones. The rock from the island is densely constructed, and this makes the stone resilient. While other rock may crack or splinter, Ailsa Craig granite stays intact in cold temperatures and in collisions. Most other rocks will have imperfections, like veins that cut through the stone. And while this granite isn't free from weaknesses, there aren't many in Ailsa Craig rock. For more on how these curling stones get made, watch the full episode of So Expensive on Business Insider's YouTube channel.