Natural stone is a solid organic rock made up of one or more minerals, quarried from the earth and used for construction & decorative purposes. This material is not only attracted by its natural and luxurious aesthetic beauty but also attracts attention by its variety of uses.
After being quarried, natural stones go through a manufacturing process so that they can be used in certain applications. These different stones can be found serving a variety of functions in many construction entities around the world. For example, natural stone can be used for countertops, flooring, wall tiles, etc.
Natural stone variation
The element that makes the beauty of a natural stone is its inherent uniqueness. Since stone is a product of nature, they come in many variations based on the color, veining, texture, or surface finish of the slab. It is the variety of variations that give this material its diverse character and attractive aesthetic.
Featured natural stones:
Granite: is derived from igneous rock that has been exposed to lava (Magma) and the various minerals that make up the rock, usually found only in volcanically active areas. Thanks to this process, natural granite has high antibacterial properties, suitable for use in kitchens and bathrooms.
Marble: is the result of limestone blocks after a long process of changing temperature and pressure. Popular marble colors today include white, black, gray. Thanks to its durability over time and extreme weather, this stone is very popularly used in most construction items: stairs, walls, facades, bathrooms, etc.
Bluestone: also known as Basalt, is one of the most common rocks in the world, formed through changing lava. This stone has many beautiful colors and a good bearing capacity. It is also waterproof and extremely hard in texture, so Bluestone is popularly used in paving walkways, sidewalks, courtyards, etc.
Slate: also known as shale, is a rock created when sediment and sandstone are changed through heat and pressure. Thanks to a variety of colors: black, purple, blue, … and the ability to cut thin and withstand temperature changes, this stone is popularly used as roofing and flooring.
It is estimated that there are about 9,000 different types of natural stone in the world, each with its own characteristics, colors and grains, strengths, and weaknesses.
How to distinguish natural stone?
Because the exploitation and processing of natural stone minerals are limited by many factors while the world’s demand is increasing, a number of manufacturers serving the construction industry have flexibly created artificial stone with cheaper prices than natural stone and still meet the external aesthetic criteria.
Therefore, it is necessary to have the basic knowledge to distinguish the standard natural stone when there are too many types of stone appearing on the market:
* The back of the natural stone has the white-gray color of the stone and the vein is clear. In addition, black dots and veins of hidden rocks can also be seen. Artificial stone uses stone powder pressing technology, so the vein is not sharp, if there is, the pattern is stamped, the color is uniform.
* Another factor that can determine the quality of the natural stone is the thickness of the stone. The finished products of natural stone are as thick as possible, if they are too thin, they may be of poor quality and will easily break during construction or use.
See more: 5 points to note before buying natural stone