Understanding the natural stone

Natural stone is one of the most magnificent materials available for architecture and interior design. There are numerous types of natural stone such as marble, granite, quartzite, slate, onyx, etc.

1. What is natural stone?

Natural stones are a product of the Earth that result from geological changes and mineral compositions that have been occurring for millions of years. These materials are quarried from Earth’s surface and have become a popular choice for many homeowners. These versatile materials can be used both indoors and outdoors in a variety of places including countertops, flooring, landscaping, fireplaces, walkways, vanities and more. There is no limit to what you can do with natural stone.

2. Types of natural stone for your home

There are many different types of natural stone. Each kind has its own set of properties that make it unique.

Marble

Marble is a metamorphic stone. Similar to travertine, marble is a variety of limestone, but there are many differences between these two natural stones. Due to the fact that is a saltwater rock, marble quarries are close to the sea. As a result, marble is generally associated with the ancient cultures of Rome and Greece. There are, however, marble quarries far from the seashore, such as those in the U.S. or Germany. It has a higher density than travertine and has a wide color variation. Besides white marble, which is the most popular, you have also blue, green, black or other colors of marble. One of the most famous marble buildings is the Taj Mahal Palace in India.

>>> For your reference: Marble and Furniture

Granite 

Granite is a very hard, crystalline, magmatic rock, with crystals size starting from a few millimeters. It is shaped deep within Earth’s crust and consist mainly of quartz, feldspar and dark minerals. In terms of color, granite tiles are usually gray, white, black, pink, blue, yellow or red. There are granite tiles very similar to marble, however, granite is more resistant when subjected to scratches, acids and fire. Because of its features, this natural stone has been used as building material for thousands of years and mainly suited to kitchen benchtops and flooring.

Quartzite

Quartzite belongs to the harder types of natural stone. Quartzite is a cleaved stone usually offered in a natural cleft finish. This finish accentuates the rustic character of this material. The sparkling parts on the surface of this type of natural stone are quartz granules.

This natural stone is widely used in construction as it is highly resistant to temperature changes, durable, resistant and does not absorb moisture.

Because of its properties quartzite can be used in pavements, floors, walls, bathrooms, terraces and even in decorative elements such as the columns. Both indoors and outdoors.

Slate

Slate has been a huge success in recent years. This is above all due to the very favorable price/quality ratio. We specially chose Montauk and Black Slate because of their neutral grey shades and their natural surface. Both slates are of course frost resistant. Slate is found in fine, compact layers in the quarry. The natural surface has a rather rough look.

In Vietnam, Slate only presents in a quarry in Lai Chau moutain.

Onyx

This oxide-type stone is formed by the accumulation of volcanic gases. Traditionally due to its magnificent properties it has been used for jewellery and decoration items such as vases or lamps.

It is considered a semi-precious stone since it is considered the only one among the different types of natural stone which is translucent. When it comes to design, this natural stone provides great brightness and enhances the beauty of any environment. It is used by interior designers and architects for the coating of interiors and bathrooms.

3. The difference between Natural stone and Man made stone

Man-made stone is manufactured to look like natural stone and is often available at lower material standards than the real stuff. If you are looking to install masonry stonework on the interior or exterior of your home, you will find this information useful in making your decision on what type of building material to use.

• Both manufactured and natural stone veneers are price comparative
• Installation cost is slightly lower for manufactured stone, due to its repetitive methods of installation
• Manufactured stone typically has more color options because it can be dyed on demand in the mold
• Both manufactured and natural stone are readily available
• Real stone requires an experienced mason, but looks much better when trimmed. Manufactured stone has a thin layer of paint over the concrete material, which can be exposed when working the material during installation

Hopefully, this helps you understand about some popular natural stone. If you have any questions please contact us at TLP Marble & Furniture, we would be happy to answer any of your questions.

>>> Learn more: Things to Know about Artificial Marble and Natural Marble