(Spanish Stonehenge)
There are more than 1000 companies devoted to working with marble, granite and slate in Spain, along with almost 700 quarries for materials. Today the Spanish natural stone industry, which is basically founded on the extraction of natural stone and its transformation and elaboration has become a point of reference within the world stone industry. The quantity of stone produced and the quality of Spain’s product make this country one of the world leaders in the field. According to the presentations at the Piedra 2008, the international trade fair in Madrid, Spain, its production value comes to 3.5 billion euros that are the US $5.5 billion. The majority of the companies operating in the industry are small and medium-sized enterprises, which constitutes a good part of the industrial fabric in Spain. The companies in the industry provide 35,000 direct jobs and 100,000 indirect jobs. It is mainly because of the considerable geological wealth of the Iberian Peninsula, particularly helping the exports to swell. It is one of the leading exporters of natural stone to countries like the US, Mexico, Germany, France, the UK and Ireland. Their competitors are countries like China, India, Egypt and Turkey on the international markets. As per one of the reports presented, with regard to the destination of Spain’s exports In terms of monetary value, 68% of the export value is shipped within the European Union mainly France 27%, the UK 13% and Germany 10%. The Us 14%, China 9% and the United Arab Emirates 4% are Spain’s main non – EU clients in terms of export value.
In terms of exports according to volume, China is the main destination with 26%. Followed by France 20%, the UK 10% and then come Italy, Ireland, Germany and Portugal.
With the imports, China is Spain’s most important trade partner, accounting for 25% of the import value figure. Imports from the European Union account for another 28%, mostly from Italy and Portugal. Other important countries with import values are Turkey 14%, India 12% and Brazil 11%
Reference
· Articles from Stone Industry Education, on Stone World
· Evolution in the use of natural building stone in Madrid, Spain
A nomination for the Global Heritage stone resource. It is quarried in the Sierra de Guadarrama foothills, the province of Madrid. This is the best granite in Spain.
(Alpedrete Monzogranite - Granite of Spain)
It is a stone with excellent petrophysical properties and has proven durability. This granite is quarried in the Spanish central range and today, it is known as Blanco Rafaela.
Dolomite, also known as Dolostone, is a sedimentary rock composed primarily of the mineral dolomite, CaMg(Co3)2. It is found in sedimentary basins, worldwide. It is formed by lime and mud limestone by magnesium-rich groundwater.
(Dolomite - Spain Mineral Specimen)
Limestone is one of the traditional construction stones, mostly used in Madrid. It is known for its long term durability.
Flint is a sedimentary cryptocrystalline form of the mineral quartz. Its usage dates back to millions of years. It was one of the first materials used to make tools by early people. They form as concretionary masses and less frequently as a layered deposit. It is called ‘Chert’ by geologists. In older days firearms, Flint was used as a source of the fire.
Flint is also a gemstone that is very durable and it accepts a bright polish and appears in attractive colours. It was the first construction material of Spain. Flintstones resist weathering better than almost any other natural stone.
The character and the value of modern and historic buildings lie in the quality of their materials and no other stone is more versatile and noble than the Quartz Phyllite. This is from the quarries of Bernardo’s, Spain, a world-class slate for its high quartz content. This is one stone with infinite possibilities. In construction, the multicolour Bernardos slate stones get the appearance of Aged textures, you make roof tiles, you get cobbles, you get split face tiles. Get it Sawn finished, polished, Riven, etc at the hands of Fabricators.
(Quartz Phyllite of Spain)
With its ten slate districts, Spain is the most important producer of slate worldwide.
]]>Stone Durability
According to Bell (1993), the durability of a building stone is a measure of its ability to resist weathering and therefore retain its original size, shape and strength and appearance over an extensive period of time. As-built heritage materials resist decay differently, special attention is needed if constructions are intended to last for long periods of time. The specific resistant characteristic of each type of stone is determined by its petrophysical properties such as Density, Water absorption, Porosity accessible to water/Hg percentage, percentage of Microporosity etc.
The Spain Houses
Traditionally, Spanish homes were built with adobe or mud-brick which is durable and also extremely heavy. These houses have red-tiled roofs and clean stucco walls.
Monterey, Mission style, Moorish are the terms used for building styles in Spain.
(Spanish - Moorish Architecture)
The Roofs
The iconic barrel roof tiles are typically found in earthy and warm colours. Traditionally, these roofs were made from terracotta clay and slate due to their ability to withstand intense heat. Terracotta and slate roofs remain exceptionally durable, equivalent to these days concrete ones, with an added advantage of being environment friendly.
(Spanish - Slate Roof House)
The Stucco walls
The clean and sturdy walls support the red tile roof. The walls cover other materials of building from natural elements, which are often in white and creamy columns.
(The Stucco Walls of Spanish House)
Wood Support Beams
It is an exposure of wooden beam support with a farmhouse style. It is a key element in Spanish architecture. These wooden beams support the roof.
Simple Embellishments
It is the controlled use of ornamentation. They adorn the large expanses of exterior walls.
Arches and Curves
Spanish homes are rectilinear in nature due to the common practice of adding to existing structures. Spanish design elements highlight arches and curves. Smooth archway entryways, cylindrical turrets are all common practices.
Other Elements of Spanish Architecture
Arcades, Courtyards and Patios, Ornamental ironwork, Balconies, Tower Chimneys are the other elements of Spain’s architecture.
]]>Diamonds
Diamonds are best known as gemstones, even though only 20% of the world's production by weight is used for jewelry. The other 80%, known as bort, is used in industrial and research applications where the unique properties of diamonds are required. In 2018, Canada was the world's third-largest producer of diamonds by value (14.4%) and the third-largest producer by volume (15.7%)
Canada's total primary exports of diamonds were valued at $2.9 billion in 2018.
Gold is a precious metal most commonly used in jewelry. Gold is mined in nine Canadian provinces and territories and is the highest valued commodity produced in Canada by the value of production.
Ontario and Quebec together accounted for more than 75% of mined gold production in Canada in 2018.
In 2018, the value of Canadian gold exports was $17.3 billion applications. In 2018, Canada ranked eighth in the world in the production of refined lead.
Economy
The Natural Resources Canada's Lands and Minerals Sector is committed to promoting Indigenous participation in mineral exploration and mining activities by sharing information to support informed decision-making that builds partnerships and promotes community capacity building. Agreements between companies and Indigenous peoples, Agreements between mineral exploration and mining companies, and Indigenous communities or governments have helped secure benefits for many Indigenous communities and businesses and improved certainty for exploration and mining companies.
Along with this inclusive policies and participation have helped the growth of Canada's manufacturing, mining, and service sectors also transformed the nation from a largely rural economy to an urbanized, industrial one.
]]>Limestone is a SEDIMENTARY ROCK largely or wholly composed of calcium carbonate (CaCO3). Carbonate rocks, and in some cases marble, the metamorphosed near-equivalent of limestone, are important to the construction industry as building stone and aggregate, and as the primary component of Portland CEMENT and lime.
(Limestone Barrens of Newfoundland, Canada)
Limestone is quarried in the Northwest Territories, British Columbia, Alberta, Manitoba, Ontario, Nova Scotia, and Newfoundland. Lime plants have been established near industrial centers where reserves of suitable limestone are available and where major consumers are situated.
Ontario and Québec produce over 70% of Canada's total lime. About 3% of all stone quarried in Canada is used as dimension stone or ornamental building stone. Most prominent are the granites of Québec and the limestones of Ontario, Québec, and Manitoba. Perhaps the best known of the latter is Manitoba Tyndall Stone, an attractively mottled dolomitic limestone quarried near Winnipeg.
Tyndall stone
It is the national building stone of Canada. It is a form of mottled cream-colored limestone. Tyndall is quarried near Garson, Manitoba which is about 45 kilometers from central Winnipeg. This stone is typical of the visible presence of fossilized nautiluses, trilobites, coral, and other ancient animal life.
(Tyndall Stone - Limestone of Canada)
Tyndall stone’s historical character is also attributable to its deep historical roots in the famous Manitoba construction. The stone has been a common building material in the province’s architecture since the earliest days of European settlement. The lower fort Garry of 1832 is one of the first examples of its usage. In recent years Tyndall stones found its home on tall apartment blocks, schools, and office buildings. At the same time, the use of this unique stone has found popularity beyond Manitoba that are the Canadian parliament buildings in Ottawa and the Canadian Museum of Civilization in Quebec. Tyndall stone is a registered trademark name by Gillis Quarries Limited. It is the dolomitic limestone that is quarried from the Selkirk member of the Ordovician red river formation of Manitoba Canada. This stone has a pervasive mottling of darker dolomite that gives the rock a tapestry-like effect. This makes this stone popular as a building and ornamental stone. This stone quarry is operated by Gillis Quarry Ltd that has owned the quarry since 1910.
The most striking thing about this stone is its decorative feature. They look like they are riddled with thalassinoides trace fossils. These are branching burrows with T or Y-shaped junctions made by creatures tunneling through the soft sediments. The following are examples of natural fossil designs.
Thalassinoids burrows a wall cladding on the Terminal City Club Vancouver, weathered thalassinoides burrows at the Fairmont Banff Springs Hotel, Fisheries burrows at the Terminal City Club Vancouver, large orthoceras sections on book-matched slabs at the Fairmont Chateau lake Louis, Orthoceras on the terrace of the Fairmont Banff Springs hotel, Rugose coral on the Terminal City Club Vancouver, a fragment of stromatoporoid at the Fairmont Chateau lake Louis
The Gillis Quarry Story of Tyndall stone
The Gillis Quarry Ltd., on its web page, narrates the story of the formation……
450 million years ago it was the Palaeozoic era and the age of Pangea. Southern Manitoba was part of the warm shallow inland sea located south of the equator. Organisms such as corals, sponges, Gastropods, trilobites, and algae burrowed through the bottom of a soft Limey, muddy sea, seeking food and refuge from predators; traces of their passage left behind.
The more tightly packed surrounding sediments, primarily calcium carbonate, lithified first, leaving the many burrows untouched. Later magnesium-rich water percolated through the rock depositing dolomite in the burrows, but it could not penetrate the tightly cemented limestone.
It is the preserved, complexed branches of burrows or trace fossils of these magical sea creatures that created Tyndall stone's beautiful markings which gives Tyndall stones their unique appearance.
Canada is the only source in the world for this stone, geologically referred to as the upper bottled limestone of the red river formation of the Ordovician system.
Unlike limestone, granite was slow to appear on the architectural stone market. It was not until railway construction began in the mid-19th century that industrial production of granite began. Before that time, known deposits were considered to be too far from the Montréal and Québec consumer areas. For a long time, fieldstone, with its rounded shape, was used to build fireproof houses. It came mainly from fragments detached from outcrops of Grenville Province rock and transported during glacial periods (Maurice, 1955)
In Québec, early geological survey of Canada reports mentioned the areas where it was possible to extract high quality, easy-to-cut granite. The Stanstead and Barnston areas in the Eastern Townships subsequently produced very large quantities of granite. In addition to these areas, major extraction centers, including Chatham, Grenville, and Wentworth townships, as well as some Monteregian Hills, have been cataloged. In 1864, when the report on the geology of Canada was published (Logan et al., 1864), construction materials, except for limestone, were almost totally ignored.
In the stone industry, the term “granite” refers to all “hard” crystalline rocks, either igneous or metamorphic, used in construction and decoration. "Granite" includes rocks such as granite, monzonite, farsundite, magnetite, gabbro, or anorthosite. Gneiss is also identified as granite in the industry.
Approximately 80 to 90% of the granite produced as architectural stone in Canada comes from Québec. Nearly twenty-five companies quarry granite in sixty-odd quarries. In Québec, the main producer is the Saguenay–Lac-Saint-Jean Region, with 40% of total production, followed by the Capitale-Nationale Region, with 30%.
Québec's granite is primarily used as dimension stone for producing cut-to-size panels, slabs, and tiles. Other uses include monument stone, ornamental stone, curb-stones, and landscaping stone.
Quarry operators refer to a wide variety of colors of granite and the production includes white, blue, brown, grey, pink, red, black, green, and violet.
]]>Sandstone is a sedimentary rock mostly composed of more or less rounded quartz grains, 1/16 mm to 2 mm in diameter, cemented by iron oxides, clay, calcite, or silica. Sandstone is whitish, light grey, or variously colored depending on the pigments in the binder.
Since the mid-1960s, most of the sandstone produced for construction has been extracted from the Havelock area of the Montérégie Region and the Mirabel area of the Laurentides region. In Québec, red, orange, grey, yellow, and green sandstone is quarried.
Red, pink, and orange sandstone occur in Silurian sedimentary rocks of the Appalachian Orogen (Brisebois and Brun, 1994). The rocks are quarried in the Saint-Mathieu area of the Bas-Saint-Laurent region. They consist of sandstone or occasionally siltstone from the Robitaille Formation.
Sandstone is mainly used to produce flagstones and paving stones, stones for fireplaces, house facings, and retaining walls. More rarely, blocks are extracted to produce slabs.
The sandstones occur in the sedimentary formations of the St. Lawrence Platform, The sandstones from the St. Lawrence Platform are extracted in the Havelock and Hemming ford areas of the Montérégie Region and the Mirabel area of the Laurentides region. It consists of light grey-brown or greyish white quartz arenite belonging to the Cairn side Formation (Potsdam Group) and dolomitic sandstone and quartzite dolomite belonging to the Theresa Formation, from which flagstones and rough or cut Cobblestones is produced for residential construction.
Green sandstone is extracted in the Saint-Ferdinand area of the Centre-du-Québec region. It consists of green, fine-grained quartz arenite belonging to the Oak Hill Group. The stone is used to produce flagstones and cobblestones.
]]>
Most gemstones are minerals or rocks and occur in favored sites in the earth’s crust or in the gravels that result from the weathering of rocks. Of the beautifully crystallized minerals that seem useful for gems, only a very few meet the standards and are sufficiently beautiful, durable, rare, and large enough to be cut into saleable stones. As a class of natural objects gemstones is exceedingly rare.
In gemstones, they are major ingredients in amethyst, aquamarine, emerald, garnet, peridot, topaz, tourmaline, and zircon. Oxygen is a major ingredient in ruby, sapphire, chrysoberyl, and spinel.
Mankind has long been fascinated by gemstones. Not only to be used as investments by the rich, who used to show off the red rubies, shiny diamonds, or the enormous emeralds to display wealth, status, and power owned only by the royalty. People have treasured gems for many reasons throughout history.
The discovery of diamonds in South Africa played a pivotal role in the world’s diamond history. Before diamonds were discovered in Kimberley, they were extremely rare and were only found in small quantities in India and Brazil.
In 1867 South Africa’s first diamond, later called the “Eureka”, was discovered on the banks of the Orange River near Hope-town by 15-year-old Erasmus Jacobs. He was playing around on his father’s Northern Cape farm at the time and a pretty transparent rock caught his eye. It was a neighbor, Schalk van Niekerk, who identified this ‘rock’ as a diamond.
(Eureka- The First Diamond of South Africa)
A few years later, Johannes Nicolaas de Beer and his brother Diederik Arnoldus De Beer, two Dutch settlers, discovered diamonds on their farm. The discovery led to a diamond rush, with people from various parts of South Africa intruding on their land in the hope of finding their very own diamonds. Unable to protect their land from the masses, they decided to sell their property. Though the brothers did not become the owners of diamond mines, their name, De Beers, was given to one of the mines, and today, the De Beers name is still synonymous with the diamond industry worldwide.
More than 22 million tonnes of earth were removed from what is now known as “The Big Hole” in Kimberley, and approximately three tonnes of diamonds were removed. The Big Hole is considered the world’s deepest man-made hole. Today, The Big Hole is a well-known tourist attraction.
(The Big Hole - in Kimberley)
The most expensive gemstone ever sold was the Pink Star diamond that was sold for $83 million. Also known as the ‘Fancy Vivid Pink’ diamond, this stunning gemstone was mined in 1999 in South Africa, with a weight of 59.6 carats. Because of the selling price of $83 million, this diamond became the most expensive gem ever sold.
That Queen Elizabeth crown that she has worn for 63 years also has a diamond from South Africa. Weighing a breath-taking 3 106 carats, this diamond was discovered in 1905 by Pretoria’s Premier Mine inspector, Thomas Wells, who initially mistook it as a piece of glass placed by the miners to prank him. When its identity was revealed, the diamond was named “The Cullinan” after the owner of the mine and purchased by the Transvaal government as a gift for King Edward VII.
(The Cullinan - The Largest Diamond of The World)
There is a widespread misconception that Africa is only home to diamonds, copper, and gold reserves. However, in reality, the continent possesses a diverse range of precious gemstones inside its vast geological planes.
In fact, many gems and stones come from South Africa and this is the reason the gemstone industry here remains sturdy.
Here are some of the most sought after gemstones of South Africa other than Diamond;
Chatoyant Quartz, Enstatite, Rhodonite, Grossular Garnet, Rhodochrosite, Petalite, Platinum, Plasma Chalcedony, Chrysoprase, Microcline, Uvarovite, Gold, Zoisite, Chrysoprase, Diopside, Chrysoberyl, Pyrope, Phosphophyllite, Labradorite, Dravite, Taaffeite, Rutile, Tugtupite, Lapis Lazuli, Turquoise, Sillimanite, Oligoclase, Spodumene, Gypsum, Tektites and Shell
]]>The recycling of surplus stone materials is a subject that has up till now remained untouched. The innovative idea of reusing the surplus chunks and blocks that pile up after quarrying, after manufacturing and after construction has set up a wide market for alternative uses. From decorative settings to substitute materials for building assembly, off-cuts and other reusable materials come in handy. The utilization of such materials also helps in the decreased consumption of natural resources.
The state that the globe is in today rests completely on our shoulders. Our irresponsible ways of living have greatly impacted the habitat that helps the planet sustain life. Moreover, we have been blinded by our quest for development, so much so, that we have ignored the wide pool of opportunities spread out before us. It is high time we opened our eyes and feasted on the potential progress that we are turning a blind eye to.
In every choice you make, big or small, turn to the ‘Reduce, Reuse and Recycle’ way of living.
There are 6 semi-precious gemstones in Turkey that are the most significant in terms of abundance and authenticity. These include smoky quartz, blue chalcedony, chrysoprase (aka Şenkaya emerald), diaspore (aka sultanite/zultanite), sepiolite (aka meerschaum/Eskişehirstone), and jet (aka Oltustone).
Zultanite is a rare and more recently surfaced gemstone that is only found in Turkey and has become one of the most popular stones of the millennium for its colour-changing properties. It is named by Murat Akgun in honour of the 36 sultans who ruled the Ottoman Empire in Anatolia in the late 13th century.
It is the world’s rarest type of diaspore – a mineral named after the word diaspora, which in Greek means to scatter, in reference to the way the gemstone sparkles and reflects light. Considered to be 10 times as rare as diamonds, zultanite has only ever been found from one source: the Ilbir Mountains of Milas, located in Turkey’s Aegean province of Muğla. Generally a yellowish-green gemstone, it can transform into a reddish-pink colour in incandescent light and even reach hues of purple in mixed lighting, and can also possess the cat’s eye effect. Its healing properties are lesser-known due to it only having been discovered in the past few years.
It is the oldest trade material from Anatolia of Turkey and has been used in jewellery for thousands of years. The name “chalcedony” is the original “Kalsedon,” which comes from the name of an ancient Anatolian port named Kalkedon. The name is still used today for any related materials with the same chemical composition.
While chalcedony, which includes the varieties of agate and carnelian, can be found in a number of provinces throughout Turkey, including Ankara, Bursa, Çanakkale, Ordu, Rize and Tokat, the blue chalcedony hailing from Eskişehir’s Sarıcakaya region is definitely a much rarer find. The gem has historically been used as jewellery and stamps dating back thousands of years. The highly coveted blue chalcedony comes in greyish to purple-blue hues and is believed to relieve hostility and irritability and to promote feelings of kindness and compassion. It is also believed to have played a good part in blood circulation, memory and speech. Also, believed to be beneficial to both lawyers and singers, who need to utilise their power of verbal expression.
(Blue Chalcedony- Gemstone of Turkey)
Pink Tourmaline is another gemstone primarily sourced in Turkey’s Yozgat province but also found in the Aydın and Çanakkale provinces. Known as the “rainbow stone,” it can have a variety of different hues ranging from pink to green. It is generally agreed that traces of iron, and possibly titanium, induce green and blue colours. Manganese produces reds and pinks, and possibly yellows. Some pink and yellow tourmalines might owe their hues to colour centres caused by radiation, which can be natural or laboratory-induced.
It is believed to help break addictions and increase focus and also said tourmaline can release lingering emotional pain and destructive feelings and generate sentiments of confidence and trust.
It has jadeite and other minerals including quartz, orthoclase, epidote, chloritoid and phlogopite which give the stone that purple look. This stone is also known as Turkish lavender jade as shade purple colour do vary from deep purple to lavender and is an only relatively new gemstone in that mining did not start till 1980 in Turkey
This rare variety of lavender and purple-coloured jade comes from Turkey’s Bursa province. Also referred to as turkiyenite, this unique form of jadeite, aka imperial jade, is among the rarest in the world and is therefore extremely hard to come by. It has long been believed that jade eliminates toxins from the body, calms the nerves and cardiac system, and boosts the immune system. By keeping the wearer of this gem from harm, it is also said to bring the wearer good luck, love and even money.
(Turkish purple jade - Gemstone of Turkey)
Obsidian was so named from its resemblance to a stone found in Ethiopia by Obsius. It is a naturally occurring volcanic glass. It is usually an opaque black or grey but may be yellow, red, greenish-brown. It can be found in its black and brown variations throughout Turkey, in both central and eastern Anatolia as well as in the Aegean region. While Kars is best known for sourcing the obsidian we are most familiar with, Turkey also harbours the more rarely seen green obsidian in the craters of Mt. Nemrut in Eastern Anatolia, while red obsidian can be found in Rize’s Ikizdere region.
Obsidian may have an iridescent sheen caused by inclusions It was used in antiquity for amulets and necklaces. Considered to be a protective stone, obsidian shields against both internal and external negativity and is believed to release tension and mental distress.
(Obsidian Turkey Stone)
Agate
It is a common rock formation, consisting of chalcedony and quartz as its primary components with a wide variety of colours. Agates are primarily formed within volcanic and metamorphic rocks. Decorative uses of agates are known to date back to Ancient Greece and are used most commonly as decorations or jewellery.
Turkey has a number of variations, including tree agate and tube agate. The most famous agate in Turkey is çubuk agate, which comes from the district of the same name in Ankara. The colours reflected in the gem depend on the trace materials but can range from transparent to white, yellow, green, red, brown and even black. Believed to calm the nerves and help with sleep disorders, çubuk agate is also said to relieve fevers and to transform negativity.
(Agate - Gemstone of Turkey)
Oltu stone is a variation of jet, which comes from the town of Oltu in Erzurum Province. A jet is a type of lignite, and although it is derived from wood that has altered under extreme pressure. Beds of this organic substance are 70–80 cm in thickness. Extraction is done by digging narrow tunnels and shafts below ground. There are around 600 quarries in the region. It is a very dense mineral-like substance of the nature of coal that does not demonstrate crystallinity. It generally comes in black, but can also be velvet-black, blackish brown, grey or greenish. Oltu stone's most interesting characteristic is its softness when excavated. It only begins to harden when exposed to the air. For this reason, it can be carved very easily.
These black gems are regularly used in making the Turkish “tespih” prayer beads as well as jewellery and have been used in decorative items since the Bronze Age. It is considered to be a gemstone with healing properties to help ease headaches, migraine pain and mood swings and alleviate depression.
(Oltu Stone - Turkish gemstone)
]]>The natural stone industry in Turkey mainly consists of producing marble, granite, limestone, travertine, serpentine, diabase and slate stone. In 1996, the General Directorate of Mineral Research and Exploration of Turkey, (known as Maden Tetkik ve Arama Genel Mudurlugu, MTA) calculated the natural stone sources for the first time as 5x10.9 cubic meters. Since then, there has been a constant growth of the natural stone industry in Turkey every year.
(Turkish Limestone)
The annual growth rate on average has been twice that of the whole world. Following China, India and Italy, Turkey is the fourth country in the world in terms of the broadest natural stone production.
Natural stone reserves in Turkey are spread over the country. 32 % of the reserves are in the Aegean Region, 26 % in Marmara, 11 % in Central Anatolia and 31 % of the reserves are in the rest of the country, namely Eastern and Southeastern Anatolia, the Black Sea Region and the Mediterranean Region.
(Anatolia, Turkey)
Furthermore, Turkey is one of the most notable countries in the whole world in terms of marble, travertine and granite. The overall reserve of marble is estimated as 13.9 billion tons (nearly 5.1 billion cubic meters).
According to the data MTA reports, Turkey potentially has 5 billion cubic meters of marble. It is known that almost 35 % of the marble reserves in the world are located in Turkey. With the current demand for marble, Turkey has enough reserves to supply marble for the whole world for the next 80 years. According to the studies, the capacity of marble that can be processed in Turkey is 3.8 billion m3. For travertine, it is 2.7 billion m3 and the capacity for granite is 995 million m3.
In Turkey, there are approximately 1000 functioning quarries and more than 7000 workshops and 1500 factories processing the stone. Moreover, approximately 250,000 employees are working in the sector. 90 % of the quarries are in the regions of Aegean and Marmara: 27 % in Balikesir, 24 % in Afyon, 12 % in Bilecik, 8 % in Denizli, 6% in Mugla and 4 % in Eskisehir. The production in these areas represents 65 % of the whole production in the country. In Afyon, there is 355 facilities processing marble and 45 of them are highly integrated large-scale plants. Yearly production in Afyon is estimated to be 6.6 million m². 14 % of the marble export of the country is done by the companies in Afyon.
(Afyon Turkey Marble )
Thanks to the current production technology, methods, craftsmanship and ease of transportation, Turkey is one of the leading countries in the natural stone industry. Since the quality of the stone is of great importance, advanced technology with entirely automated machinery is utilized during the manufacturing process. That is why the plants processing the stones are able to create the desired product with commercially high standards of quality. Even though the companies in the Turkish natural stone market are moderate in their size, they are standardized and well organised through associations and unions
Most of the quarries, namely 90 % of them, are situated in the western part of the country that is known as the Aegean and Marmara Regions. More than 500 types of products are manufactured by companies throughout the country.
]]>In Portugal they occur mainly near the shore, to the north of Lisbon and in the Algarve region, in the south. The main mining district of ornamental limestones is the Maciço Calcário Estremenho (MCE), located north of Lisbon. It is a limestone mass with a well-known litho stratigraphy that is made up of a thick sequence of Mesozoic carbonated rocks tectonically elevated. The productive litho stratigraphic units of the main ornamental varieties are dated from the Middle-Jurassic ages. Mining is carried out by more than 50 quarries in 6 main mining districts: Pé da Pedreira municipal of Santarém), Moleanos (municipally of Alcobaça), Codaçal, Cabeça Veada and Salgueiras (Porto de Mós) and Fátima (Ourém).
Exploitation of limestone in MCE is relatively recent and it started in the early eighties of the last century. From the 10 years, these rocks are the most demanded Portuguese ornamental stone, especially in the Chinese market.
The litho stratigraphic units have thicknesses of about 40 m to more than 150 m and the strata thickness ranges from 2 to more than 20 m. As the geological structure is very simple, the strata being sub horizontal, exploitability conditions are very favourable. Most of the MCE limestones are fine to coarse-grained calciclastic sparitic rocks (redstones and grain stones), that is, formed by grains cemented by small amounts of translucent calcite.
They are cream coloured with a texture marked by thin laminations, which are sometimes visible and not. It depends on the way the blocks are cut. The most traditional ornamental stones from MCE are referred to by their most common commercial names. The region of Pêro Pinheiro, just North of Lisbon, is one of the most traditional production centres of ornamental stones of Portugal. Quarrying in this region could have started in Roman times, as testified by the discovery of a roman quarry located about 10 km to the south. However, their intensive exploitation only began in the 18th century, for the reconstruction of Lisbon, after the big earthquake of 1755. Due to rapid urbanisation in the region the availability of the resource is threatened and most of the quarries are currently inactive.
From one hundred registered queries, only 27 remain occasionally active.Ornamental limestones from Pêro Pinheiro are dated from the Cretaceous. In general terms they correspond to bioclastic and bio-edified rocks characterised by more or less abundant fossil remains of rudiments which give peculiar aesthetics to the ornamental varieties.
In the Algarve region ornamental stones are exploited near the localities of Escarpão (municipality of Albufeira), Mesquita (municipality of S. Brás de Alportel) and Santo Estêvão (municipality of Tavira). Escarpão is a very small mining site of Upper Jurassic bluish grey limestone that is mainly exploited for aggregates. Bio-edified limestone of the Upper Jurassic age with coarse elements and variations of reddish and greyish colours give it a breccia appearance.
Limestones do not exist in great varieties like ornamental stones. The cream coloured rocks form MCE dominate the market.
The outcropping areas of slates in Portugal are quite extensive. However, the production of ornamental slates is small. The main mining sites are located in Valongo, Arouca and Vila Nova de Foz Coa, in the North of Portugal, and in Barrancos, in the Alentejo region, near the border with Spain.
In Valongo, slates are quarried in a very narrow strip of land constrained by urban households. They show a dark grey colour and a very fine granularity. Their superior textural homogeneity and the very well defined slaty cleavage gives them the quality for production of billiards tables. The productive unit of Valongo is of Paleozoic age (Ordovician) and is the same that is exploited at Arouca. In Vila Nova de Foz Côa the so called Xistos do Poio are mined since 200 years ago for building construction as dry set masonry and tiles, as well as support masts for vineyards.
Slate production of Portugal is very low but their ornamental stones can be used in a wide range of applications. Portugal produces a great diversity of ornamental stones. Besides the internationally known white and pink marbles, light cream limestones are also produced, as well as grey, yellow and pink granites, and dark grey slates. Among these limestones are the most wanted variety today, especially in the Chinese market.
Reference:
Portuguese Ornamental Stones, Jorge M. F. Carvalho1, a, Cristina I. Carvalho1, b, José V. Lisboa1, c, António Casal Moura1,d, and Mário M. Leite1, e1Portuguese Energy and Geology Laboratory, Apartado 7586 – Alfragide, 2610-999 Amadora, Portugal
ajorge.carvalho@lneg.pt
bcristina.carvalho@lneg.pt
cvitor.lisboa@lneg.pt
dcasal.moura@lneg.pt
emachado.leite@lneg.pt
]]>Granite as known belongs to a larger family of rocks that have a major chemical composition of quartz and feldspars. Muscovite, Biotitic or Amphiboles are the mineral characteristics of granite rocks.
The Portuguese granites are known for their quality and variety. The frequency of their usage is on the rise. The North and Centre of the Portuguese territory are characterized by extensive areas of granitic outcrops of Palaeozoic age. These areas are associated with several mining districts of ornamental stones. Also, mining of resources for ornamental purposes takes place in the Alentejo and Algarve regions. The potentialities are mainly associated with granites of Variscan Orogeny time period.
Portuguese granites show a wide variety of colours and textures. Nevertheless, the vast majority have grey to bluish grey colours and fine to coarse granular textures, sometimes porphyroid.
These kinds of granites are exploited in most of the mining sites and among them are Pedras Salgadas and Alpendorad. These two kinds are the commercial varieties.
Its peculiarities include colour and texture and other varieties to look for the Favaco for its dark grey colour. It is found in the restricted place of the Monforte – Campo Major mining district. The Cinzento de Alpalhão, mined at Alpalhão is known for its homogeneous fine-grained texture. The Cinzento de Monchique comes from the igneous mass with the same name in the Algarve region. This variety is actually a medium to coarse grain nepheline syenite with a greyish colour in general. Reddish brown grain of the nephelometer stands out from its acicular texture.
These Grey granites are very common in the international market for ornamental stones. Granites of higher variety with good economic value stand out with pinkish or yellowish colours.
The pinkish varieties occur in the Monção and Monforte - Campo Major mining districts, where the quarries often exceed 30 m in depth, keeping with what has been mentioned for the greyish granites.
The varieties exploited here feature a coarse to very coarse grain size and are known as Rosa Monção and Rosa Monforte, respectively. Yellowish varieties are intensively exploited at several sites but the most active are those of Ponte de Lima, Mondim de Basto and Falperra. Their colour is the result of shallow weathering phenomena affecting the grey underlying granites. This particular genetics of the yellow granites justifies the values obtained for its physical-mechanical properties, when compared with those of other granite varieties.
As a result of the geological diversity that characterizes its territory, Portugal produces a large chromatic and textural variety of granites and marbles for ornamental purposes. The most abundant varieties are the greyish coloured ones which in the present day have relatively low economic value due to strong competition for this kind of stones in the global market.
Granite is hard and tough, and therefore it has gained widespread use as a construction stone.
There are several types of Granite in Portugal. From blue blue to pink, from yellow to black, the variety of granite is wide
Blue Granite: Alpendorada which is similar to the grey one.
Yellow Granite: Mondim, Vila Real, Alpendorada, Ariz, Cinfaes and Guimaraes
Macheado ( mix of yellow and blue)
Grey Granite: Alpendorada , Ariz, Lapa, Pedras Salgadas, Penafiel, Granja/ Fine grain, Pinhel , Penalva, Alpalhao, Guimaraes/ Crystal, Castro Daire, Evora and Antas
Black Granite: Roriz, National, Favaco, Angola, Zimbabwe and Impala
Pink Granite: Porrinho, Monaco and Monforte.
Ref: Helio & Monteiro LDA
]]>Stone extraction in Portugal is happening well from the Roman reins and that has played significant roles in the architectural heritage of the country. Monuments, Statues, Fountains, Places and other ancestral buildings are long-standing examples of Iberian Peninsula and all over the world. The great Portuguese source of the marble is a world famous geological area called the Extreme Anticline of Alentejo region. The pure white marble of Portugal is the result of the very pure metamorphism.
Luis Lopez and Ruben Martins of the department of Geosciences, university of Evora, Valor Pedra association and geophysics centre of Evora have combined for a research article about marbles from Portugal.
For decades Estremoz marbles were the hallmark of Portuguese dimension stone. Economic constraints and lack of knowledge about the physical, chemical and mechanical prosperities of different prescribers created a notion that raises doubts about longevity. It is observed by the researchers that there is no depletion of raw material and almost every variety of marble has enough reserves to sustain a mining activity for several hundred years.
Despite its dimension, the country has mining units of ornamental rocks throughout. The north is rich in igneous rocks particularly granites. There are also considerable results of limestone breccias in the Algarve. Marbles are exploited in the province of Alentejo, southern Portugal between Sousel and Alandroal.
It is well known that marbles have been quarried since antiquity as a valuable geological resource. The oldest evidence of this dates back to 370 BC. Later in the Roman period, marbles were widely used as structural and decorative features of buildings that today are fabulous architectural monuments, for example, the Roman temple in Evora, the Roman theatre in Merida Spain. In the Middle Ages marble was used for the construction of palaces, castles, and other buildings. The 15th century witnessed these marbles move more prominently for usage, both nationally and internationally. They were transported by Portuguese explorers to Africa, India and Brazil. In the following centuries, these marbles were demanded ornamental purposes and they appear with various polychromatic associations in several national and international monuments. With the introduction of new manufacturing technologies, especially in the 70s of the 20th century and with the opening of the Portuguese economy to the world, the marble industry stepped forward and since then marble has been exported worldwide.
The marble of the Estremoz Anticline is a very small part of its reserves and only 30% of its marbles are explored. It is roughly said that marble mining will happen in these reserves for another 550 years.
For many years the companies that developed their activities in Estremoz, Borba and Vila Vicosa were characterized by family structures with unskilled human resources, guided by intuitive
Methods of management. Later on, as the economy opened its gate to the international domain, companies gradually came to organize themselves, investing in qualified personnel, in technological development in professional training, with a greater sensibility to environmental issues and in a more aggressive marketing strategy.
Nowadays witnessing the importance of the ornamental rocks sector in the Portuguese economy the giver has recognized the association, “Cluster da Pedra Natural” and following this, “Associacao Valor Pedra”. The mission is to implement initiatives for innovation, qualification, and modernization of companies of the sector and develop the cooperation between enterprises, business associations, technology centers and I & D institutions, training centers, and other entities of the sector contributing to the dynamization of technology transfer process to increase productivity, competitiveness and innovation in different economic activities.
If we talk about Marbles of Portugal the name that tops the list is Rosa Portuguese. It is a pink marble which is almost an identity for its other varieties across the world. For many years this marble is most exported and of course the most known all over the world. Despite the status, the world does not know much about it. There is a general comment that it is not very uniform but professionals who work with this material are of a rather valuable different viewpoint: Each slab or tile is distinct from the others but the final result of a flooring, for example, is spectacular. In terms of geology, Rosa Portuguese is a limestone that is 400 million years old.
The varieties are not merely defined by the names. Here they vary with the factors (clean and veins). The varieties that look clean have a pink background and they have almost no veins but this is the least available one. Slabs with some veins: the background is pink again and the veins are of brown, green, or bluish-black. This is the variety that comes out of most of the quarries.
Slabs with veins with the same pink background these slabs have more veins of brown, green, or bluish-black.
There are a large number of names to describe each variety. The following are some of them:
· Estremoz clear and Pink
· Rosa Borba
· Rosa Aurora
· Rosa Portugal
· Rosa Venado
· Rosa Lagoa
· Rosa Salmao
· Rosa Crema Vigaria
· Rosa Monte
· Rosa Paradis
· Calacatta Rosa
· Rosa El-rei etc.
These above slabs are available in blocks, slabs, and tiles as well with finishes that are
· Polished
· Acid
· Bush hammered
· Sanded
· Honed
· Aged
Saudi Arabia is the biggest market for Rosa varieties.
Countries such as Indonesia, Malaysia, and Singapore are joined in the list. Rosa Portuguese is an interior, exterior decoration, and sculpture material.
Reference: www.litosonline.com
]]>Cassiterite with quartz, fluorapatite, and arsenopyrite: It’s a group of Cassiterite crystals that are sharp, shiny, and translucent on the edges. Fluorapatite crystals of almost white colour, aggregates of arsenopyrite crystals, and quartz crystals were found.
Cassiterite with quartz: Double Cassiterite crystals with fine faces and edges that are translucent, bright with a brown-reddish reflection.
Topaz with Chlorite, Muscovite, Pyrite, fluorapatite, and Siderite: Irregular aggregates of Topaz crystals with fine faces are colorless bright with Chlorite, Muscovite, fluorapatite, Siderite, and Pyrite.
Topaz with Arsenopyrite, fluorite, Muscovite, and Chlorite: Topaz crystals with good faces and edges between transparent and translucent characters. Arsenopyrite crystals in a slightly bluish color with small fluorite crystals and leafy Muscovite aggregates are found.
Topaz with Arsenopyrite, Muscovite, and Quartz: Flattened topaz crystals one of them clearly dominant that are white and they are on a quartz and arsenopyrite mass coated by Chlorite with small Muscovite aggregates.
Galena with Pyrite and Calcite: Aggregate of bright Cubo octahedral-like crystals well developed for a large size. They are with small Calcite crystals with Chalcopyrite.
Fluorapatite with Siderite, Quartz, Stannite and Arsenopyrite. Tabular fluorapatite crystals are translucent with Arsenopyrite inclusions, Quartz, Siderite, and Stannite crystals.
Arsenopyrite with Stannite, Calcite, and Pyrite: Parallel polycrystalline Arsenopyrite growths with dark grey Stannite intergrowths with leafy Muscovite aggregates coated by small white Calcite crystals and aggregates of cubic Pyrite crystals.
Quartz with Siderite, Stannite, Chalcopyrite, and Pyrite: Transparent quartz crystal coated by very pale Siderite crystals and dark sphalerite aggregates with small Chalcopyrite, Stannite, and Pyrite crystals.
The above-described mineral specimen of various combinations of minerals are abundantly, rarely, usually, generally found in the mines of Minas da Panasqueira, Aldeia de São Francisco de Assis, Covilhã Castelo Branco, Cova da Beira in Centro Portugal. Fabre minerals for high-quality mineral specimens have been bringing the above-mentioned selected collectible minerals since 1971. They have a virtual sales platform on which you can view the specimens and place orders accordingly.
]]>Arsenopyrite- Muscovite: They are iridescent crystals of Arsenopyrite that form closed aggregates with parallel growth and they look lustrous.
Arsenopyrite- Pyrite, Fluorapatite and Siderite: They are crystals that look unusually individualised and elongated. The faces and edges are good. The crystals look transparent.
Arsenopyrite- Marcasite, Siderite and Muscovite: They are Metallic grey prismatic crystals that are very bright and have parallel epigenetic Marcasite growth with a greenish colour. They are with small tabular Siderite crystals and leafy Muscovite aggregates.
Arsenopyrite- Marcasite, Quartz with inclusion and Muscovite: Fan-like aggregates with metallic grey growths find the second face of very sharp Arsenopyrite- Marcasite crystals. It is a very clear and quartz crystal. Leafy Muscovite aggregates are found.
Arsenopyrite- Marcasite, Calcite and Muscovite: Aggregate of complete Arsenopyrite- Marcasite crystals that have polycrystalline growth. They are very bright with small Calcite crystals and leafy Muscovite aggregates.
Arsenopyrite- Sphalerite with Chalcopyrite, Arsenopyrite and Siderite: Sphalerite crystals with good faces and edges, good growth of Chalcopyrite and Arsenopyrite crystals and Siderite crystals.
Siderite with Fluorapatite: Its honey colour and transparency are generally not found. Generally, it is more opaque. Fluorapatite crystals are found translucent and transparent with bright white colour.
Siderite with Ferberite and Quartz: It looks elegant and the platy Siderite crystals are warm brown in colour. The Ferberite crystals are transparent, colourless Quartz.
Siderite with Quartz and Arsenopyrite: Aggregate of prismatic Siderite crystals in a very uniform dark brown colour, silky lustre – microcrystalline surfaces on the prisms. Siderite is with Arsenopyrite and cubic Pyrite microcrystals.
Siderite with Quartz: Barrel-shaped Siderite crystals on a mass of quartz crystals and small Arsenopyrite and Pyrite crystals.
Siderite: Big lenticular crystals which are a clear brown colour. It has a well developed flat pinacoidal surface.
Siderite with quartz: A quartz prism is encrusted with little Siderite crystal covers. Siderite with quartz, Chalcopyrite and Muscovite. The aggregate of Siderite crystals, one of them clearly dominant on crystalline quartz mass with leafy Muscovite aggregates.
Siderite with Quartz and inclusions: Siderite crystals covering quartz and small Arsenopyrite crystals.
Siderite with Pyrite, Quartz and Muscovite: Great group of Siderite crystals, brown colour, partially coated by small Pyrite crystals with crystals of quartz, leafy Muscovite aggregates, as Arsenopyrite and Pyrite cubics.
Quartz with Siderite: Neat and brilliant quartz with neat and brilliant siderite. The Siderite crystals have good faces and edges.
Quartz with fluorapatite: It has inclusions and with Muscovite, Siderite and Calcite. Thin fluorapatite crystals with quartz crystals partially coated by Siderite and Muscovite.
Quartz with Arsenopyrite, marcasite, Siderite, Calcite and Muscovite: Single quartz crystal with Ariel growth of marcasite-arsenopyrite, leafy Muscovite growth and crystals of small Siderite and white Calcite.
Quartz with Siderite and Muscovite: Parallel growth of completely clear, colourless and very bright quartz crystals of great quality. They are partially coated by an aggregate of Siderite crystals and Muscovite aggregates.
Quartz with Siderite, Pyrite, Ferberite and fluorapatite: Quartz crystals with typical forms on the front side and polycrystalline growths on the back. They are partially coated by Siderite, Pyrite and fluorapatite, with small inclusions of well-defined arsenopyrite.
Fluorite with Ferberite, Quartz, Muscovite and Chlorite: Quartz crystals and a single Ferberite crystal are almost fully coated by cubic fluorite crystals with a uniform blue colour.
Fluorite on quartz with Chlorite: Group of very flattened Fluorite crystals and well-defined cube shapes. The fluorite has grown partially following the forms of quartz crystal. The quartz crystal is partially coated with Chlorite near the base.
Fluorite on topaz with quartz and arsenopyrite: A group of very flattened Fluorite crystals with very well defined forms of cubes. Fluorite, in lilac-blue colour brown partially following the form of quartz.
Fluorite with quartz, Muscovite and Chlorite: Fluorite crystals in cubes are translucent and have intense bluish-lilac colour on a quartz crystal mass.
Fluorite with Muscovite: Aggregates of cubic fluorite crystals with polycrystalline surfaces. They are very translucent and have intense lilac colour, with leafy Muscovite aggregates.
Fluorite with quartz, Chlorite and Muscovite: Aggregates of cubic fluorite crystals that are colourless with rough faces due to microcrystalline growths. Quartz crystals with fluorite coatings and small Muscovite aggregates are also found.
Fluorite with quartz and Siderite: Fluorite crystals are found in a well-balanced cube shape. Its exterior is pale blue and it has a deep violet centred with white inclusions.
Fluorite with quartz Siderite and Chlorite: Transluce
Fluorite with fluor nt and colourless fluorite crystals are found by the growths of multiple small crystals. Fluorite crystals are on quartz crystals coated by Chlorite, white Siderite crystals and Pyrite micro crystals.
apatite and Muscovite: Small aggregate of fluorite crystals with the colour between blue and lilac. They partially coat the faces of translucent fluorapatite crystals with a yellowish-green colour.
Fluorite with fluorapatite, Arsenopyrite and Muscovite: Transparent and very bright thick fluorapatite crystals with very deep green colour, with small arsenopyrite crystals and Muscovite aggregates.
Fluorite with fluorapatite and Chlorite: It has polycrystalline fluorite growths with vivid colours between blue and lilac. This uncommon fluorapatite crystal is partially coated by doubly terminated fluorapatite crystals and with clear quartz crystals on the back.
Octahedral Fluorite with Cassiterite: It is a very rare crystalline form of fluorite. It is translucent with a bluish-green colour and white areas. Also, bright groups of cyclic Cassiterite formations are found.
Octahedral Fluorite with quartz: It is known as the Aztec pyramid because of polycrystalline growths on the octahedral crystal. These crystals are extremely rare and translucent with a deep lilac bluish colour.
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Fluorapatite is a phosphate mineral with the formula Ca5(PO4)3F (calcium fluorophosphate). Fluorapatite is a hard crystalline solid. Although samples can have various colours (green, brown, blue, yellow, violet, or colourless), the pure mineral is colourless, as expected for a material lacking transition metals.
For Industrial use, the mineral is mined in the form of phosphate rock, whose usual mineral composition is primarily fluorapatite but often with significant amounts of the other.
Fluorapatite as a mineral is the most common phosphate mineral. It occurs widely as an accessory mineral in igneous rocks and in calcium-rich metamorphic rocks. It commonly occurs as a detrital or digenic mineral in sedimentary rocks and is an essential component of phosphorite ore deposits. It occurs as a residual mineral in lateritic soils.
Fluorapatite – Quartz, Siderite, Muscovite and Chlorite: It’s a short primatial crystal that has well-defined faces and edges with lustre and distinct geometric colour. It is popularly known as Ox’s Eye- Olho de Boi. The colour is very rare and these pieces are also very old.
Fluorapatite- Pyrite and Siderite: It’s a group of crystals that are translucent which are in a deep green colour. This specimen is a recent finding in Panasqueira.
Fluorapatite – Quartz and Muscovite: It’s a novelty at Sainte Marie 2020 virtual show. It looks elongated in pale yellow and has violet crystals. This specimen is completely different from what had been found in Panasqueira.
Fluorapatite- Quartz, Chlorite and Calcite: Another novel piece at the 2020 virtual show. Colour- pale yellow to violet crystals. This is also a new specimen from the so far known specimens of Panasqueira.
Fluorapatite- Quartz and Chlorite: A new arrival at the 2020 virtual show. It looks elongated with the colours pale yellow and violet.
Fluorapatite- Quartz, Sphalerite, Muscovite and Chlorite: With its elongated look it has small coatings of Chlorite. It is very rare and it comes from a small Bug that produced a few pieces. Colour – pale yellow to violet.
Fluorapatite- Sphalerite, Muscovite and Chlorite: It looks elongated and a new specimen yellow to violet.
Fluorapatite- Quartz, Arsenopyrite, Muscovite and Chlorite: Elongated it looks with yellow and violet colours and has Chlorite coatings. It’s a new specimen. Fluorapatite is a group of two violet crystals and there is a cluster of small crystals on its side. The crystals have small damage on the edges.
Fluorapatite- Siderite, Muscovite and Chlorite: They are crystals that are very transparent and translucent. It has a zoned violet colour.
Fluorapatite- Muscovite and Chlorite: It’s a group of small prismatic crystals. They have a violet colour which is translucent and bright. This sample is also from a very recent find.
Fluorapatite- Quartz, Siderite and Pyrite: It’s a group of flattened quarry crystals, some of them with two tabular crystals which are translucent and bright with a very deep blue-violet colour.
Fluorapatite- Ferberite, Siderite and Muscovite: It is a cluster of crystals with one of the faces clearly dominant. Very rich, transparent and bright.
Fluorapatite- Ferberite, Siderite, Muscovite and Pyrite: It is a very aerial crystal that is very rich in faces, transparent and very bright, good edges.
Fluorapatite- Ferberite, Siderite and Muscovite: It's a two group of crystals in which one of them is clearly dominant, transparent, bright with fine edges.
Fluorapatite- Ferberite, Siderite and Muscovite: These crystals have multiple faces with one face very dominant and are transparent, bright with good edges.
Fluorapatite- Quartz, Muscovite, Arsenopyrite and Calcite: It is a thin tabular crystal that has a calcite coating.
Fluorapatite with inclusions and Muscovite: A tabular crystal with a very short prism. It is between green and golden colours, bright and transparent. Fluorapatite crystal is unusually elongated in shape. The faces and edges have a good definition, very translucent and transparent. It is a pale green colour and has different shades of green.
Fluorapatite- Calcite and Pyrite: It is basically two thick tabular crystals in which one of them is clearly dominant. With a dark green colour, it is translucent and bright. It is an aggregate on a Calcite matrix.
Fluorapatite- Calcite and Pyrite: It is a tabular crystal that looks floating. It is very transparent and bright. It is partially coated by Calcite. It has anomalous growths at the base.
Fluorapatite – Siderite: It's an aggregate of small prismatic crystals. Its Pale green colour is bright and is translucent. Siderite deposits are found on the back.
Fluorapatite- Pyrite and Muscovite: The prismatic crystals have a uniform pale green colour, which is transparent and bright. Basically, it’s a druse of short prismatic crystals. The faces are good.
Fluorapatite- Arsenopyrite and Muscovite: It’s a single crystal with a thin tabular shape. It has a pale green colour which is very bright.
Fluorapatite- Quartz: It's an aggregate of tabular, translucent and bright crystals. The green colour is pale on the outer area and is darker in the interior.
Fluorapatite- Ferberite, Siderite, Quartz and Muscovite: It is a cluster of translucent, thick tabular crystals. The lovely pale green colour is translucent and bright. They have fine faces.
Fluorapatite- Quartz and Siderite: These crystals are well covered with quartz and Siderite. It has a very dull green shade.
Fluorapatite- Siderite and Muscovite: It’s a group of crystals with an attractive pale green colour covered with Muscovite and Siderite. The crystal has brilliant looks.
Fluorapatite- Siderite, Muscovite, Marcasite and Arsenopyrite: They are thick tabular crystals with concentrated colour zones. The crystals look translucent and bright on the faces.
Ferberite
Ferberite- Siderite and Muscovite: The crystals have parallel growth of flattened Ferberite crystals, small tabular Siderite crystals with Muscovite aggregates.
Ferberite-Calcite-dolomite: The crystals are elongated, flattened and have parallel growth. They look lustrous. They are partially covered with small Pyrite crystals.
Pyrite with Calcite: They are aggregates of Pyrite crystals that are lustrous with colour variations ranging from greenish-yellow to brassy. It is a very recent find, which looks unusually aesthetic.
Pyrite with Calcite-dolomite and Siderite: It's an aggregate of cubic Pyrite crystals that are very bright.
Pyrite with quartz: It’s a group of cubic Pyrite crystals on a quartz matrix. Though it is considered to be a common mineral, Pyrites of this quality are not common.
Pyrite: It is coloured Pyrite with curved cubes covering a flat Calcite matrix.
Marcasite- Calcite- dolomite and Chalcopyrite: Aggregates of Marcasite crystals are very bright with white growths of Calcite-dolomite crystals.
]]>However, before buying or making a choice there is need to know some major differences and similarities which might help you.
Origin of Both stones:
The origin of Natural & Engineered stone is the main difference between these stones. Natural Stone(granite, marble, limestone, and travertine) are made out from slabs of rock-cut from stone quarries deep in the earth. The Natural stone is created by the combination of molten rock & various minerals. The colours of Natural stone depend on the place where they were quarried.
The engineered stone is created from quartz are made by using both man-made and natural materials. Though the Engineered stone contains natural stone, it is made by combining the ground stone crystals along with resin and pigments during the manufacturing process.
Durability and Strength:
The strength and durability of both stones are great. However, when it comes to engineered stone the products made from it are harder and also heavier. Both the stones when are new need to be maintained properly. Before cleaning the products made out of these stones, keep in mind to use good cleaners as certain cleaners can damage the stone.
Appearance:
The colours, patterns, flaws, and irregularities of the natural stone are unique. The natural stone has its specifications and is a good choice if you choose natural Stone slab for your home or any other purpose. While choosing an engineered stone, one can select from a catalogue or sample pieces. The stone can be created according to your specification as well.
Natural Stone:
Natural Stone is available on Earth for thousands of years. Every piece of a Natural stone is unique and has its features. These stones are both tough, long-lasting and no two color types are the same. While, on the other hand, the engineered stone can create the same color multiple times for the uniformity. It is heat-resistant and also because of the hard material it doesn’t crack easily.
The Natural stone is made of a porous material which requires the cleaning of the surface properly. The stone also requires additional care and prevention from any moisture or liquids from damaging the surface.
Natural Stone is impervious to recolouring, scratches and chipping. The Stone is essentially flexible and sturdy. These components make it impervious to scratching and chipping, under typical conditions.
The enormous assortment of hues, style, and type is very regular to the characteristic stone. This is one of the real focuses that separate Natural stone from the designed kind. The alternatives are so shifted and gigantic, that you will undoubtedly discover something of your loving.
Natural stone can be practical. This is because the more costly sort of regular stone is progressively permeable and consequently gentler, which essentially implies that it ends up inclined to scratches. In this way, it doesn't imply that the costly sort of stone is better. The cost ought not to be the solitary factor choosing whether the nature of the common stone is great or not.
Engineered Stone:
The Engineered stone offers consistency among every one of its items. The consistency can be seen in both style and shading. This consistency is a direct result of a similar formula that is utilized for each item group.
Engineered stone has no porosity, making it impervious to scratches, chips, and stains. This makes it a sterile choice for restroom and kitchen bench tops just as different surfaces.
The example that you view probably won't be precise of the chunk that is laid on the bench tops. The formula may guarantee consistency yet recall just in a solitary bunch. If the example and piece are from various clusters, at that point, there may be a distinction of shade tones. This is a result of the way that the significant part of engineered stone is normal framing quartz, which may vary in the shade now and then.
Similarities between the two stones:
Quartz and Natural stone are both incredibly overwhelming. Because of this, it is critical to work with an expert during establishment. The group at Colonial Marble won't just help with establishment yet can give tests, cites and even a Kitchen Visualizer to enable you to choose exactly where to make your updates.
Natural stone and quartz don't generally hold up to extraordinary climate conditions, making indoor establishment the favoured strategy. In case you're anticipating introducing an open-air bar or chimney, ensure your rock or marble surface is protected from the hard downpour and the searing sun.
The cost of quartz and regular stone, similar to marble, appeared to be distant for some hoping to overhaul inside a sensible spending plan. Be that as it may, as rock, marble, quartz and stone ledges become progressively stylish in the present homes, materials are winding up increasingly moderate.
Are you still confused about which one to choose? Well, there are both advantages and disadvantages for both natural stone and engineered stone. Both the stones are available in the market at the various range and with the descriptions, similarities, differences, advantages, and disadvantages mentioned above, you can make your perfect choice from Natural Stone or Engineered stone. Always keep in mind before choosing that the stone, is not only to satisfy your wants and looks good at home but also has great durability & Strength.
In other words, we can say that no one type of stone is better or worse than the other one. Whether Natural or Engineered both are good and has their quality, specifications and value.
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