Natural Stone

Understanding a little about the nature of marbles and granites will help you to appreciate the importance of a specialised cleaning and maintenance program.

Dimensional natural stone is quarried from massive deposits or formations, many millions of years old. The resulting blocks are cut to required thickness, and usually have one surface honed or polished. Tiles and panels are mostly cut to size in the originating factory, and then packed for further shipment. Items such as table and bench tops, vanity tops and furniture are generally made to your specific requirements from polished random slabs. All of these finishers have something in common: each surface is essentially a cross section of the material - as it originally appeared in the massive deposit. A processed surface reveals the unmistakeable character of that piece of natural stone.

A honed or polished surface is achieved by grinding the cut face with successively finer grades of abrasive. A honed finish stops short of a full polish, and is a viable surface treatment for flooring. Less "compact" materials such as sandstones and some limestones cannot always be polished and routinely are offered in a honed finish. Other marbles and harder limestones that can be easily polished are sometimes honed to take advantage of the simple fact that minor wear and tear is not obvious on a surface that has an overall "sheen" rather than a "mirror finish" polish

A polished surface, however, is the only way to fully appreciate the colour and pattern of natural stone, and is far more popular. When a surface "closes" over and a polish is achieved the true colours of the natural stone can be fully appreciated, along with the intricacies of the pattern or veining. A polished surface is not an applied finish, and cannot easily be replicated, but it has the advantage that it is relatively impervious to minor soiling by denying dirt particles a rough surface to adhere to. Accordingly, a polished stone surface can be very easy to maintain, in addition to looking great.

A polished surface doesn't change the nature of the stone, and cannot by itself protect the material from all the influences that may be encountered in daily use over the years. Remember that we are dealing with a cross section of the stone. That cross section can unlock the secret of the stone's hidden colours and patterns, but in doing so it can expose the stone to elements for which no natural protection is afforded.

Article Source: www.findstone.com

Import and export of natural stone in China

The foreign trade turnover of Chinese natural stone is still registering high growth rates, particularly for imports. According to Hou Jianhua, statistician and editor at the national Chinese natural stone association, the import volume between 2000 and 2004 rose from 1.73 million tons worth 400 million US$ to 4.21 million tons worth 750 million US$. This equates to an 88 % rise in turnover in money terms.

The quantity of natural stone imported rose by a factor of 1.43. The most popular kinds of natural stone for import are marble in rough or slab form and rough granite. Domestic production cannot cover the heavy demand for these popular materials. Natural stone is a material with characteristic local variations and inimitable distinctiveness.

The demand and with it stone imports to China will therefore continue to increase, with forecast annual growth rates of well over 15 %. Trade between China and foreign countries is usually handled by setting up agencies in China, via sale on commission or through joint ventures and other long-term business relationships. It is also usual for companies to exhibit at trade fairs, although more for image care reasons.

The Chinese export figures for natural stone are also rising: from 6.55 million tons worth 815 million US$ in 2000 to 9.43 million tons worth 1,676 million US$ in 2004. This means turnover has more than doubled in money terms, with the quantity of natural stone exported increasing by a factor of 1.44. China exports natural stone to 126 countries and regions throughout the world.