NATURAL STONE: WORLD DEPOSITS AND EXTRACTION METHODS

Natural stone is one of the first building and decorating materials that man began to use to furnish the environment. Despite its centuries-long history, natural stone has not lost anything of its relevance: its popularity does not depend on time, locality or fashion trends. Today, when artificial materials are trying to replace everything around, the craving for a natural product has remained as strong as ever.

Finished stone is the result of centuries-long work of nature. Each pattern created by nature is unique. Two identical fragments of solid granite, solid marble and aristocratic onyx cannot be found on the whole planet. From objects of the interior, made from natural stone, whether it is a marble statue or onyx fixture, there reeks special reliability, confidence, calmness, and they enjoy special popularity, therefore.

About natural stone deposits

The undisputed leader in natural stone mining of today is Italy. The rich deposits of this country were discovered many centuries ago, respectively. The traditions of stone processing aspire to perfection there. Majestic temples of the Roman Empire, made of natural stone, have survived more than many generations of humans.

The secrets of stone craftsmanship in Italy have been passed on from grandfather to father, from father to son. It is not by chance that one of the many famous Italian proverbs says “every Italian can feel stone”.

This country is considered a kind of “stone brand” for a reason: the mere fact that granite, travertine or onyx are made in Italy gives these stones a special appeal and inspires unconditional trust. This is one of the reasons why more than half of all natural stones, mined in different parts of the world, are processed in Italy.

Huge batches of granite, marble, travertine, onyx, and masters work laboriously on each millimetre of material, creating a real work of art. Customers, happy with the result, are proud to say that the stone was processed in Italy.

Today, Italian technology and equipment have spread almost all over the world: they are used in Pakistan, Brazil, China and India.

Different types of stone can be found in different parts of the world, of course. Such as granite – the strongest natural material, which is actively used by designers around the world – which is extracted in Bulgaria, Portugal, Brazil and Spain. This amazing material can also be found in both the Americas and in Australia.

In Mongolia, India and Uruguay one can find noble onyx with original veins of fanciful shapes. Nature was especially generous in bestowing onyx from Minas Gerais, a Brazilian state.

Travertine, natural stone with warm colours and a porous structure, can be found in Pamukkale, a Turkish province, and in Stuttgart, a German city.

As for marble deposits, they are scattered practically all over the world – Uzbekistan, Georgia, Greece, Italy, USA, Cuba as well as Russia. By the way, it is Russian marble that is famous all over the world for its rich colours and shades.

On the prospects of marble mining in Russia

The Marble Palace located in St. Petersburg, a unique monument of architecture and history, is a vivid example of the tradition of natural marble construction in Russia.

Of particular value is the Urals uniform-grained marble of delicate ivory colour, which is mined in the Koelga deposit. The famous marble of Kibik-Kordonsky and Pershinsky quarries is also valued all over the world. The Irkutsk Region is famous for red and delicate pink marble.

In spite of the fact that marble resources in Russia are extremely rich, until recently marble was mined in small quantities in Russia. The main reason for economizing with stone resources in Russia have been very high expenses on stone extraction. For example, on the Kola Peninsula and in South Yakutia, the rich deposits of marble are difficult to access – it is cheaper to buy Italian marble.

However, modern technology makes it possible to find optimal conditions for extraction of marble and today, domestic Russian marble is used on a par with natural stones from other countries.

Source: www.dvamolotka.ru