> ceramic just doesn't seem to be ideal for hard grinding of spices and
> abrasive ingredients--granite (rock) just seems more robust than
> ceramic (glass).

Scientists generally use ceramic mortar & pestles, and they work very
well - as long as you get a good quality one, they will last forever and
grind up just about anything you want. I'm a chemist and I use a
ceramic mortar & pestle in the lab to grind up hard blocks of chemicals
- probably more abrasive than anything I'd use at home in the kitchen.
The good ones are made to take a lot of abuse.

They are breakable, if you dropped one on a hard floor, and they're not
as pretty as the granite ones, but a good quality ceramic mortar &
pestle will work just fine.

Karen