#MARBLE is a metamorphosed (change from immature to adult form) limestone which when buried deep in earth over long time under heat & pressure changes to marble, available in various colours & physical characteristics, old between 540 million & 4,5 billion years. It comes in various finishes: polished, honed, leather, antique, sandblasted, etc. As per ASTM standards, it’s maximum water absorption is 0.20% & it’s density is minimum 2,595kg/m3 as calcite classification & from 2800kg/m3 as dolomite classification. Once installed, it should be sealed to avoid staining & maintained on a regular basis. Recommended for indoors.
#GRANITE is the OLDEST igneous (latin for fire) rock which is 80% made up of natural quartz grains and feldspar, formed by cooling of magma with large amounts of silica underground. The minimum density as per ASTM is 2,560kg/m3. It comes in various colours with some rather very beautiful patterns, especially quarried in Brazil and India. It is ultra-dense, stronger than marble, more durable and is therefore recommended for high foot traffic areas such as malls, outdoor areas, kitchen counter tops. The Kangchenjunga mountain in the Himalayas, third highest in the world at 8,586m, is made of granite.
#LIMESTONE is a sedimentary rock and more porous than marble. In fact, it is marble’s “older sibbling”, a combination of shells & sand forming on shores & sea beds solidifying over time. Like marble, it was either formed in Precambrian or Paleozoic Eras (between 4,6 billion and 540 million years ago). It comes in 3 categories: heavy (2560kg/m3 or more), medium (2160kg/m3 to 2560kg/m3) & low density (1760kg/m3 to 2160kg/m3), with water absorption ranging from 3% to 12%, respectively. They can only achieve 70% polished shine (high satin finish) compared to marble.
#ONYX is also made up of calcium carbonate and is in fact formed by limestone dissolving and redepositing as a new type of stone. It is from the Neogene period (between 3 and 23 million years ago, so is quite a “young” natural stone). Drip water inside caves form onyx as stalactites (grow downward from cave ceilings) & stalagmites (grow upward from cave floors). It is the most visually stunning natural stone that can be sold vein cur to cross-cut (cloudy). It’s mostly used for decorative purposes (especially as back-lit panels). It is quarried in Mexico, Turkey, Iran, Pakistan.
#QUARTZITE should not be confused with artificial factory manufactured quartz surfaces (engineered stone from resin, stone chips, quartz grains, etc) sold around the world. It is in fact also a natural stone around 1,5 billion years old. It is also a metamorphic rock like marble, but formed from sandstone, which when in contact with deeply buried magma, under heat and pressure fused with sparkly crystals, forms quartzite. They are extremely durable and dense and are beautiful for kitchen counter tops or decorative surfaces and can be very expensive due to their extremely beautiful appearance.
#TRAVERTINE which is a sedimentary rock and which started forming around 200,000 years ago, was mined by Romans from Tivoli around 75BC. It is a porous natural stone, a type of limestone in fact, which forms when calcium carbonate precipitates in hot springs. It can be filled (with cement or reisin) or unfilled. Nowadays, the countries where it is widely quarried are Italy, Iran and Turkey. It comes in various colours – beige, white, brown, red, orange. It can be used both indoors and outdoors in various finishes. Can be supplied vein cut or cross cut, depending on client requirement.
