Types of Stone
Granite: A visibly granular, igneous rock, generally ranging in color fromm near-white through the spectrum of golds, pinks, greens and blues, to grays and blacks. Granite consists primarily of quartz and feldspar.
Marble: Carbonate rock possessing a distinctive crystalline texture, composed principally of the carbonate minerals calcite and dolomite, singly or in combination.
Slate: A mirocrystalline metamorphic rock commonly derived from shale, primarily composed of mica, chlorite and quartz.
Travertine: A type of crystalline or microcrystalline limestone with a distinctive layered structure. Some layers contain pores and cavities which create an open texture.
Shell Stone: A sedimentary stone found in Florida and Central America, sharing characteristics of limestone, with fossils and shells imbedded in its body.
Tumbled Stone: Marble and travertine tumbled in a solution of water, sand and mild acid, producing tiles with an old-world, weathered look.
Cantera Stone: A sedimentary rock found in riverbeds of certain regions of Mexico. Predominantly of five colors, it is used extensively in the Southwest United States for architectural columns and mouldings, and for paver tiles.
