Types of Stone

As rock is a naturally occurring substance it can be found all around the world in its various forms. Here are just some of the types of stone used in making our objects.

Limestone: This is mainly made from natural debris gathering on the floor of rivers. Animals that have shells shed them in the water and so the stone can often contain fossils. Limestone can be different colours due to other materials in the earth such as clay.
Acid rain can severely damage limestone. However, limestone is hardwearing, heavy and expensive.  It is easy to cut and carve, so it is a good material for making sculptures.

 

Lapis Lazuli: This is a rock and its name means blue stone.  The stone is deep blue in colour. It was highly prized by the pharaohs of Ancient Egypt and at one point in the medieval period was more expensive than gold. Most lapis lazuli comes from Afghanistan, so is not easily available. It is easily polished and is excellent for making jewellery and sculpture.

 

 

Marble: This is a metamorphic rock made from the heating of sedimentary rocks, mainly limestone. The name means to sparkle. The purest white limestone produces white marble that has been used in sculpture for centuries. When other materials get squashed into the limestone it gives the marble a different colour. Different coloured marbles are often used in architecture.

 

 

Agate: Most agate is formed in small holes in volcanic rocks that are filled by layers of different materials. Over time this solidifies into a rock. If cut lengthways, it is often possible to see lots of parallel lines in agate resulting from the different layers of mineral that it can contain. Agate is a hard stone that is not destroyed by acid, it is therefore used to make tools to crush and mix chemicals in industry.

 

 

Porphyry: This is a type of igneous rock that contains large-grained crystals. The word porphyry means purple. Dark red porphyry comes from Egypt and was used by the Ancient Egyptians and Romans to make statues and buildings.

 

 

 

 

Alabaster: Alabaster is a type of mineral made from calcium. The purest alabaster is snow-white in appearance. Alabaster is a soft stone that it can be easily carved into detailed shapes.