Masonry Magazine November 2011 Page. 36
NATURAL STONE
Natural stones were formed, but their compositions can differ significantly. Many quarry operators can distinguish the stone from their quarries from that of another quarry operation a few miles away, when extracting from the same formation.
A rich history
THE ANCIENT MASTERY of extracting stone from the ground and working it into a building material requires an understanding of how that specific stone will cut or cleave. Each different kind of stone has its own unique graining. Most all stones have a graining referred to as the "rift." The rift will run perpendicularly to the bedding grain of a sedimentary stone. The stone cutter would need to identify the rift in order to successfully cut the stone. This is one example of the knowledge a stone cutter would need.
The master stone cutters who worked the quarries in the United States' early years are a reflection of the different cultures that helped settle America. Master stone cutters have come from Sweden, Germany, Italy and Ireland, to name a few. The use of natural stone is as much about people and cultures as it is about the material.
Choices abound
The many different availabilities of texture, color, hardness and a workable nature of natural stone lend to an ability to express any desired outcome. The abundant choices in appearance and uses of natural stone, coupled with the abounding skills of the mason and creative genius of an architect or designer, present possibilities that no other medium could. This is one of the remarkable aspects of natural stone.
Using a snapped, polished or natural clef surface, stone complements its surroundings and makes an impression that lasts. The use of natural stone in cultures throughout history gives us insight to the members of those cultures. It tells us about the creativity and ingenuity of the people who built with stone.
Since the 1950s, the United States has been experiencing a renascence in the stone industry. The increased availability of natural stone is due mostly to the innovations of stone-processing equipment and tooling. These advancements have increased production, lowered costs and made available new products. Improved methods for quarrying The Voice of the Masonry Industry
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34 MASONRY
November 2011 www.masoncontractors.org