Unique and sophisticated are the most appropriate words to describe the beauty of natural stone. The varieties of minerals that complete the stone vary in properties and color, making stone exceptionally beautiful. Flecks of quartzite, bronzite, garnet, and other materials sparkle and illuminate the material. Natural stone is completely distinct, none will have the same pattern, veining, or defining marks as another, the result will be a truly unique residential or commercial project.

Three different types of stone are formed to create the various types of stone used in homes and commercial projects today.

Sedimentary rock is located on the uppermost part of the crust. It is formed when an original rock has been destroyed due to weathering. The sediments are transported by water (rivers, streams, or ocean) or wind, and then buried. After the rock was buried, the tiny pieces of sediment bond to form limestone, sandstone, and travertine.

Metamorphic rock is formed when rock that is buried deep in the earth comes in contact with heat, pressure, and chemically active fluids. This process results in a more strongly bonded, dense stone. The heat creates veining that is present in many stones. Marble, quartzite, and slate are formed through this metamorphic process.

Igneous rocks are found deepest in the earth’s crust; they are formed by the cooling and solidification of molten rocks. As the rock cools, crystals form and grow until the molten rock turns into stone. If the cooling occurs slowly, large crystals are formed. If the cooling occurs quickly, smaller crystals are formed. This process is responsible for producing granite, which is made up of orthoclase feldspar, quartz, plagioclase feldspar and ferromagnesium.

The changes in color result from the minerals involved in the rock formation. These minerals also determine stone hardness. On a scale of 1-10 (diamonds being hardest), granite is a 6-7 and marble is between 3 and 5.