The beauty and sheer versatility of
natural stone – from marble to slate,
limestone to granite – has been admired for many thousands of years.
There are three kinds of rock types:
Igneous – solidified magma or lava formed
after volcanic activity. Extremely hard.
Examples: granite, basalt.
Sedimentary – weathering of existing rocks
produced sediment which settled in layers and
gradually ‘lithified’ (turned to stone) by compaction
and cementation. Examples: limestone, travertine.
Metamorphic – Metamorphism is the
transformation of one rock type into another,
brought about by heat, pressure or chemically
active fluids. Examples: Marble (originally
limestone or dolostone), slate (previously
sedimentary shale or mudstone)
Textures and finishes:
Brushed – the stone’s surface is brushed with
rotary diamond pads, resulting in a textured
finish to the surface and rounded edges.
Cushioned, pillowed – where the straight
edges of a tile have been rounded and
softened.
Filled – where voids, pits and holes (a natural
characteristic of some stone) have been filled
with a resin to create a smooth surface.
Honed – a machine process which results in a
smooth, matt surface.
Lightly polished – the surface is polished to a
softly reflective sheen rather than a high gloss.
Polished – where the surface is buffed by
machine, resulting in an even, smooth and
highly reflective surface.
Tumbled – the surfaces of the stone have been
textured, worn and weathered by contact with
abrasive materials.
Unfilled – where the pits and voids within
travertine tiles have not been filled. These can
be grout-filled during installation