FAQ about Natural Stone

What is marble?

True geological marble is limestone that has been subjected to great pressure and heat, which has changed its structure to a crystalline, sugary texture. It is generally white or whitish, sometimes translucent, with some veining or color provided by other minerals present at its formation.

Commercially, the term "marble" applies to any compact limestone that will take a polish, which includes most of the colored marbles, except some of the greens.

What is travertine? Is travertine the same as limestone?

Travertine is limestone, in a sense. It is formed by geysers, lwhen the extremely hot underground water dissolves the underlying limestone and carries it upwards with the geyser water. When the water falls to the ground and evaporates, it leaves behind the dissolved limestone which re-hardens into stone. The new stone is full of gas bubbles, which give travertine its characteristic appearance. When it is manufactured as tiles or slabs, travertine is generally filled with cement and polished or honed.

What is honed marble or travertine?

Marble, or travertine, that is honed has a matte or satin finish, rather than a high reflective polish. This is achieved at the factory by stopping just short of the last stage of polishing. One feature of honed marble is that it doesn't show etching as readily, or wear patterns on floors. Some prefers it because it has a less formal, softer appearance than polished stone.

What does "crosscut" mean?

"Crosscut" refers to a particular way of slicing a block of stone. The traditional way of cutting layered material such as Travertine is the "vein cut," similar to cutting with the grain of a piece of wood, so that the layers of material appear as parallel stripes or layers. If the block is cut across the grain, it yields a very different look, like cutting across the grain of a piece of wood.

To what does fleuri or fiorito refer?

"Fleuri" and" fiorito" are the French and Italian words for "flowered," and refer to a way of slicing blocks of some kinds of stone. It is sometimes used to mean the same thing as "crosscut," because of the "flowers" that appear as the end of veins. Technically, with bedded or layered material, a fleuri or fiorito cut is with the bed, per the diagram, and the "flowers" are the high and low spots of the beds.