So everybody loves Natural Stone, but not everybody understands the various types and, how nature has differentiated one from the other. Mother Nature is in charge when it comes to the hardness, colour, veins, grains and most of all the absolute splendid beauty of them all. Due to the deep love and respect we have for the variety of stones stocked by us, we have put together a new brochure (split by category). The brochure, tells you what the particular stone is made up of and, here and there an extra ‘titbit’ of information. The brochure, in addition to beautiful photographs of the various products, depicts some of our most perfectly created range of basins, baths, rivens, tiles, inlays, seats, mirrors and fireplaces. A very important aspect of natural stone is how to take care of it and ensure that you maintain the look and beauty. This information is carefully and concisely explained in the brochure so that you are aware of exactly what to do and when to do it.
A little more insight into the magic of natural stone.
Marble – I can only always refer to this as the stone of the gods. One just has to stand in front of 2 or 3 different colours of marble slabs and look at them, no, I mean really look at them, you will see the veins of lace, a few splashes of colour that have run and melted into the stone like a river with small tributaries and then you even find those speckles of gold or silver that twinkle deep within the folds of the stone. Besides Marble being used for tiles, slabs, cladding, architecture, sculptures, trinkets etc. there are so many other uses for this magnificent product.
Large quantities of marble are made into crushed stone or dimension stone. Crushed stone is used as an aggregate in highways, railroad beds, building foundations etc. Dimension stone, marble is cut into blocks and slabs of specific sizes. Marble of a high, pure quality white is very useful and is often mined and crushed into a powder and used in the manufacture of paint, putty, plastic, grout, cosmetics etc.
Being composed of calcium carbonate, marble will react in contact with many acids, neutralising the acid. Marble is often crushed and used for acid neutralisation in streams, lakes, and soils.
Marble is not very hard and only rates a 3 on the Mohs hardness scale. This low hardness and solubility of marble allow it to be used as a calcium additive in animal feeds. Calcium additives are especially important for dairy cows and egg-producing chickens.
So when you look at the marble next time and you think of what all it is used for, I am sure you will agree that it is truly a stone of the gods.
THE GRANITE: Well, this is from the really hot side of the earth. It forms from the slow crystallisation of magma below the Earth’s surface.
Granite is used everywhere. Slabs, stairs, cobbles, cemetery monuments, paving, floor tiles etc.
Granite is beautiful, strong and is master to your kitchens. The swirls, the depth, and the mountains that can be seen in the patterns on some the granites are spectacular. As with marble many of the granites leave you in awe of what nature has given us as a gift. The absolute magnitude of patterns that can be seen within each slab of granite sets a blazing path to your imagination.
Granite is hard enough to resist abrasion, strong enough to bear significant weight and accepts a brilliant polish. Granite is a highly desired stone and expensive as it is used in so many very prestigious homes and buildings, hotels etc. Appreciate this stone that gives longevity and inspiration.
The brochure covers the other great natural stones like Sandstone – Rich and warm in appearance reminiscent of lazy days and beaches. Some of the depth of the colours have the deep burgundy shades, fired in with the gold a bit like Egyptian gods with their twirls of gold!
We must never forget the Onyx – oh for me this is the stone so wrapped up in the mystical magic that when the sun shines through the onyx you are taken on a journey far away. Onyx is like a fantasy land of gemstones. A soft stone, but its magnificence and the vibrant energy that it gives off, makes Onyx stand out above most of your other stones.
Quartzite: Well, this is hard and strong. Quartzite is a hard, non-foliated metamorphic rock which was originally pure quartz Sandstone. Sandstone is converted into quartzite through heating and pressure usually related to tectonic compression within orogenic belts. In other words deep within the earth Sandstone adapts to the change in conditions by altering its texture and composition. Sandstone recrystallises, fusing itself together and becoming a strong Granular rock formation.
We cannot describe all the other amazing products found in the brochure or tell you all the stories about them. Therefore, we invite you to pop into our Bedfordview showroom for some coffee and a chat. We would love to meet you.