Stones like quartz (sandstone), marble, granite and pumice are widely used today for various purposes. These stones are used for construction of houses, for the constructions of bridges, pavements, buildings and decorative showpieces as well. This varied use is a consequence of the fact that they are found in various forms.

These different forms have varying strengths, different textures, and different physical and chemical properties. They are also found in a variety of colors. Let us take a look at the various properties and uses of some of these stones.

Granite is a widely used stone due to its durability strength and beauty. It is very smooth and shiny and hence adds a grace to the things made out of it. It can be used to make kitchen worktops, other countertops and furniture as it is completely scratch resistant and also very easy to maintain.

It is also extremely hygienic due to a very compact crystalline structure. Such a structure does not allow bacteria to hide. It can be very quickly and easily cleaned by just water. It is also used to build kitchen counters due to its heat resisting character. This is property it has due to igneous origins.

Quartz or sandstone is generally used for making bricks. It is extremely hard but on the other hand its rough nature prevents its use in making furniture. But in recent times a new trend of using polished quartz stone for making luxury worktops has started. In fact some of these counters are costlier than the granite ones. It is also extremely easy to maintain and clean.

Marble is one of the cheapest of stones used for tiling, making decorative showpieces and sometimes also for making furniture and countertops. Though it is cheap it is no less in beauty than granite and sandstone. Its milky white color is loved by all and hence it is most commonly used stone for making showpieces. It is not widely used for making worktops due to lack of strength and durability.

In Egypt, you get to see the world famous Pyramids which are all made of natural sand stones available in plenty in the country. In fact the historians believe that Egyptian civilization was the first to prepare stone architecture. Granites and lime stones are widely used in their structures. The “Great Pyramid of Cheops” was constructed in 2560 BC and is still alive with all its grace and beauty. Huge stone blocks were used to prepare these large structures. The outer portion of the pyramids use the yellowish lime stones wherein the interior features usage of granites. The blocks are fitted so perfectly that not a ray of light can enter inside the pyramids.

Though Egyptians are considered the pioneers in application and carving the natural stones, the Greeks were no less than them. They created many aesthetically pleasant stone statues and temples in their territory. But Greek sculpture mainly features marble stones which were polished to show ultimate off grandeur. “Temple of Artemis”, Statue of Zeus is few of the best stone works by the Greek architects. The comparatively newer Greek monuments include Theseum, Parthenon and many more. They still make the visitors spellbound with the natural shine and beauty. IN fact they lead the way of using stones at home. In ancient Greek household they started making pools, small statues etc with marbles.

The Roman stone work features the usage of both marbles and granites. In fact the strength, endurance and durability of the granite stones inspired them to use it for building roads. The columns of the houses and constructions, walls of public baths were all made from granites. But they adored marble stones for its beauty and splendor. They invented the technique of covering brick buildings with marble stones and this is in practice till date. The Taj Mahal, one of the Seven Wonders of the World, is carved from milky white marble stone. The Chinese wall is also made from natural stone. Till date the natural stones are used to decorate the rooms of regular household and hold preference over synthetic stones.  For understanding  on natural stone and synthetic stone, click here.

It shows that the popularity of natural stones like will remain unaltered always not only because they are durable but also for their pleasant appearance. Get the best quality marble, granite and limestone in the  Bay Area California at Marble City Company