Types of Stone> Types of Stone Granite:   The word granite comes from the Latin granum, a grain, in reference to the coarse-grained structure of such a crystalline rock. This igneous rock has hard and tough qualities and therefore it has gained widespread use as a construction stone. Granites can be pink to dark gray or even black, depending on their chemistry and mineralogy.   Granite has exceptional strength and it is well suited for exterior applications such as cladding, paving and curbing. It is also an excellent choice for kitchen countertops, floors and other heavily used surfaces.   Marble:   Marble is a metamorphic rock resulting from regional or rarely contact metamorphism of sedimentary carbonate rocks. Pure white marble is the result of metamorphism of very pure limestones. The characteristic swirls and veins of many colored marble varieties are usually due to various mineral impurities such as clay, silt, sand, iron oxides, or chert which were originally present as grains or layers in the limestone. Green coloration is often due to serpentine resulting from originally high magnesium limestone or dolostone with silica impurities.   Because of its inclination to high polishes-this stone is a popular choice for vanity tops, fireplace facings and hearths, walls, and windowsills.   Onyx:   A translucent, generally layered, cryptocrystalline calcite with colors in pastel shades, particularly yellow, tan, and green. Since onyx is a crystalline form of quartz, you can shine a light behind the stone to highlight the translucency of the stone.   Some of the common applications include decorative walls, bathrooms, floors and foyers.   Limestone:   Limestone often contains variable amounts of silica in the form of flint, as well as varying amounts of clay, silt and sand as layers within the rock. The primary source of the calcite in limestone is most commonly marine organisms.   Limestone is widely used as a building stone because it is easy to handle and readily available. Popular applications include countertops, flooring, exterior wall cladding and exterior paving.   Travertine:   Travertine is formed through the accumulation of calcite from hot springs. It contains lots of holes that were formed from water flowing through the stone. These holes are often filled with synthetic resins or cements.   Travertine is one of the most popular natural stones for interior and exterior wall cladding, interior and exterior paving, statuary and curbing.   Soapstone:   Soapstone (also known as steatite or soaprock) is a metamorphic rock, a talc-schist. It is largely composed of the mineral talc and is rich in magnesium.   Soapstone uses range from fireplace hearths to countertops as it is known for its stain proof characteristics.   Slate:   Slate is a fine-grained, foliated, homogeneous, metamorphic rock derived from an original shale-type sedimentary rock composed of clay or volcanic ash through low grade regional metamorphism. Slate is frequently grey in color, however, occurs in a variety of colors even from a single locality.   Slate is commonly used for floors, exterior paving stones, kitchen countertops, fireplace facings, tabletops and roofing.   Sandstone:   A sedimentary rock composed mainly of sand-size mineral or rock grains. Most sandstone is composed of quartz and/or feldspar because these are the most common minerals in the Earth's crust. Like sand, sandstone may be any color.   Some of the most common applications include fireplace facings, chimneys, garden walls, patio benches and poolsides.

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