Granite vs. Marble for Statues: Carving Difficulty

Soft vs. Hard Carving

Marble: Soft (Mohs 3). It allows for incredible, translucent detail (like muscle tone or fabric folds). However, it dissolves in acid rain over centuries.
Granite: Hard (Mohs 7). Extremely difficult to carve; requires diamond tools. However, a granite statue (like those in Indian temples made of Black Granite) will look exactly the same in 1,000 years. It is the stone of eternity.