How is natural stone processed?
Fine stone was created by nature millions of years ago, without respect to national boundaries. It is extracted from quarries on 6 continents. Blocks are cut out of their mountainside walls using drills or wires with abrasives embedded in them. Most blocks weigh about 50,000 lbs. each. They are graded according to the colors, movement, structure, and overall appearance. Those with structural or aesthetic problems are destined for road building, cement making, or even water filtration. Blocks are cut into slabs by a giant machine called a gang-saw, which is like a big bread slicer. The slabs are inspected, then prepared and polished by pulling each slab under a long series of grinding wheels, starting with coarse texture and finishing with a bright shine. Tiles are created by cutting blocks into long thin strips. These are polished then cut into squares. When we shop for natural stone, we go to the best factories in the world which specialize in buying and processing the finest stone. G
