STONE HISTORY

Stone is a natural solid formation of one or many minerals. There are

thousands of types of stone that have been quarried through the

centuries. Quarries are located all around the world. A majority of

natural stone comes from Italy, Spain, Turkey, United States, Mexico,

China, Taiwan, India, Greece, Canada, France, and Brazil.

The minerals in stone came from the same liquid and gas minerals that

formed the earth. The Earth developed as a massive body of gas and

liquid minerals that slowly cooled and condensed to a solid core.

Through pressure, the Earth's crust began to form and heavy minerals

were forced down to the core of the Earth where they were trapped. As

the crust got thicker, it squeezed around the inner core which created

intense pressure and heat from within the Earth. Crystals and other

solid forms began to grow from the mineral vapors that were being

released. As the Earth's crust began to expand and erode, heat and

pressure pushed the solid minerals up to the Earth's surface which

formed colossal rock beds. It took up to one-hundred million years to

form some of these beds. Many of the beds are now used as quarries where

the stone is mined.

Most of these minerals can be identified by their color, hardness, and

crystal formation. Crystals come in a variety of shapes and sizes. The

wide array of these minerals are often difficult to identify. Many

stones look very similar to each other; however, they are all very

different.

It is imperative to know the exact type of stone that is to be

maintained. Stone is natural and may have adverse reactions to certain

cleaning chemicals and procedures. Most stones are also natural alkalis

and so are dirt and soil; therefore, stone and dirt are attracted to

each other which often makes cleaning very difficult. This makes the

proper selection of cleaning procedures and chemicals for stone very

complex.

Always consult with a Professional to establish a precise stone

Maintenance system.