Natural stone is a collective name for thousands of different types of stone, found and quarried throughout the world. The appearance and the characteristics of natural stone are determined by the manner in which the stone was formed: by rivers, by volcanoes, by tectonic folding (mountains)... .

Each natural stone is unique, because no two places on earth have precisely the same geological composition or experience or precisely the same geological forces. This means that natural stone of the same type can also differ widely.

For commercial purposes, natural stone is divided into several large groups: granite, marble, limestone, basalt and slate are the most important.

Alongside this commercial classification, there is also an alternative scientific classification, which is divided into three categories: magmatic rock, which was created by the cooling of liquid magma; sedimentary stone, which was created by the compression of loose fragments of existing stone or by the deposition of limestone particles in water; and metamorphic rock, which was created by the transformation of existing magmatic or sedimentary rock under high temperature and/or pressure.

GRANITE
The large group of the granites consists largely of magmatic rocks which were formed by the cooling of magma deep in the earth's crust.
Their outward appearance is usually dappled. Some granites are also metamorphic in origin, having been created by the transformation of existing magmatic stone under high pressure (for example, during the development of mountain ranges). These metamorphic granites are typical for their variegated colouring and their flamed structure, which makes every individual tile and slab unique. All the granites are renowned for their outstanding technical qualities.

MARBLE
The large group of the marbles contains both metamorphic and sedimentary rocks, all of which are composed of calciferous particles (calcite). Marble is a relatively homogenous and compact natural stone. Because it is relatively easy to work, but also because of its wide variety of different colours (red, white, pink, etc.), it has found many applications in the building industry: floors, staircases, fireplaces, etc.

LIMESTONES
Limestones are sedimentary rocks created by the accumulation and compression of fossils and/or stone fragments, such as quartz and calcium. The WHITE STONES also consist of compressed accumulations of fossils and/or calcium fragments, with a texture which is soft and easily workable. Certain types are suitable for both indoor and outdoor use. The majority of these limestones cannot be polished and are delivered with a lightly honed finish. The best known examples are the French white limestones, but other high quality types are available from Portugal, Turkey, etc. These types can be used for flooring, fireplaces, statues, etc.

BLUE STONE
Blue stone is a dark and compact limestone, available in many different finishings (from polished to rough worked). This specific limestone was created by an accumulation of fossil material in a particularly dark ground sort. In addition to the famous Belgian Blue Stone, stone of this type is also quarried commercially in Vietnam and Ireland. Blue stone is suitable for staircases (indoors and outdoors), fireplaces, doorsteps, etc

BASALT
Basalts are magmatic rocks, created by the cooling of liquid magma on the earth's surface. Because this cooling was relatively rapid, the minerals in the stone had little time to complete the crystallisation process. This has resulted in a fine-grained appearance. In general, basalts are non-porous, hard and capable of finishing in several different manners. Their uses include flooring (indoors and outdoors), wall-covering, etc.

SLATE
There are many different types of slate, dependent upon the clay from which they were formed. Slates are highly layered in structure. This gives the surface a 'split' appearance, but a lightly honed finishing is also possible. This makes the slates suitable for indoor and outdoor flooring, and also for use as a wall covering.