History of Stone

Stones are solid formation of one or more minerals. The location from where stones are taken is called quarries. These quarries are found all over the world and the main quarries are situated in India, China, Italy, Canada, Greece, Taiwan, Turkey, Spain and France.

Stones are formed of the same minerals that form the earth. Earth is made of gas and liquid minerals and as the earth cooled they were condensed to form a solid core. As years passed these minerals were pressed down to the core of the earth. Pressure and heat from the earth released mineral vapors that grew into crystals and other solid forms. These solid minerals that were pushed to the earth's surface form the rock beds. These rock beds are used as quarries.

Though these entire stones look alike they are all different from each other. As stones and dirt and soil are natural alkalis they are attracted to each other and this makes cleaning them very difficult. They are natural products and they are adverse to some cleaning chemicals. The color of the stone depends on the minerals that form them. Calcium is the main mineral in marble and additive minerals added to calcium during the formation gives it the brilliant colors. These additive minerals also have a role in color development in granites and other natural stones.

Minerals have different crystalline properties and these properties of different minerals when blended together gives them brilliant colors and various crystal formations. The veins and the color grains that are found in the marble are liquid minerals that were flowing through the earth due to intense heat. As the earth cooled the flow of the minerals stopped and they condensed to form the rocks. The natural crystals in the stone reflect light which provides a shine on the surface of the stone. The crystals are damaged when pressure forces to fracture the crystals.

There are many types of stones and a few to be named are sedimentary, igneous, metamorphic and then artificial man-made ones. Sedimentary ones are made of organic elements like glaciers, rivers, ocean and plants. Limestone, sand-stone, fossil-stone, soap-stone and travertine are a few sedimentary stones. Natural changes from one type to another type of stone through the mixture of pressure, heat and minerals forms the metamorphic ones.

Marble, slate and serpentine are metamorphic stones. Magma, the volcanic material, forms the igneous ones. The cooled and solidified magma were penetrated by liquid minerals and gases which gives it a crystalline look and various colors. Granite stones are igneous stones and they are usually in dark colors and are very hard. Man-made stones are made of a mixture of cement, additive stone chips and resin. Terrazzo, cultured marble and conglomerate are a few man-made stones that are used in masonry.