Of course, ancient stones such as marble, granite and quartz have taken eons to form under the Earth’s crust. But just how long have humans been using these materials to construct and decorate our homes? Consult Stoneworks’ guide below for a crash course on the history of stone surfaces.
MARBLE
Entire buildings made of marble date back nearly three thousand years and indeed the stone has been sought after since antiquity. Many famous buildings and sculptures are testaments to marble’s beauty: the Greek Parthenon, Michaelangelo’s David and countless others. In modern times, both natural and synthesized marble is widely used in construction and décor.
GRANITE
Once cumbersome and highly regional, granite was considered extremely specialized before the 1980s. Since then, modern technology and design influences have made granite products extremely popular, diverse and accessible. Global shipping has introduced countless varieties of granite to the world market. High-tech cutting and shaping tools have also increased granite’s availability.
QUARTZ
A naturally occurring crystal, quartz is mostly unusable as a surface without the aid of humans. In the 1960s, an Italian innovator created a way to press quartz crystals with resin– resulting in a highly durable, consistent and attractive material. Since then, quartz surfaces have become extremely popular and competitive in the stone surface market.
Today, surfaces such as quartz, granite and marble are so common that we may often overlook their background. It can also be hard to differentiate natural and manmade stones. For help in this, contact or visit Stoneworks today— our helpful staff know everything there is to know about stone.
