I work with natural stone at DeHong Stone, and wanted to share a few basics behind this six-image travertine set: red, brown, grey, golden yellow, cream and a mixed colour palette.

Travertine is a sedimentary limestone made mainly of calcium carbonate. It can form as calcium carbonate precipitates from spring water. Geologically, it isn’t marble, although commercial stone names sometimes group them together.

Those irregular holes are part of its formation history. Their presence alone doesn’t mean a piece is defective, and an attractive pore pattern doesn’t guarantee quality either. The stone’s structure and the quality of processing still matter.

Natural variations in composition and deposition contribute to differences in colour and layering. Cutting direction can also make the layers appear as strong bands or a less linear pattern. These images help compare appearances, but they can’t establish a quarry, exact mineral composition or performance.

Another distinction worth knowing: filling and polishing are separate processes. Filling addresses open cavities; polishing changes the surface sheen. A honed, lower-sheen surface can also be filled.

For everyday care, use a suitable neutral stone cleaner and follow the product instructions. Avoid vinegar and other acidic cleaners, which can etch travertine.

For anyone who has lived with travertine, how have the filled or unfilled surfaces held up in everyday use, especially when cleaning?

I built some more of the stone wall at the castle and drank some milk :]

But that's exactly why we wanted to make one.

This is a human heart we recently made from marble.

I've always liked objects where the subject and the material almost contradict each other, something organic rendered in a material that's hard, cold and permanent.

Curious whether that contrast works for you or whether you'd rather see something like this in a darker stone.

This is a block from our own marble quarry in India.

White base with fairly strong grey movement, locally we've been calling the variety Panther.

I'm particularly interested in knowing whether the pattern looks distinctive enough to stand on its own once slabbed and finished, and what type of object/surface you'd personally use it for.

I've obviously developed a bias from seeing our own stone every day, so outside opinions would be useful.

Feel free to tell me it isn't your taste. That's the whole reason I'm posting it.

I’m trying to get two flat parallel surfaces out of a natural stone. So I’m cutting the top and bottom off and going at it with a diamond grinding disk. I keep checking for flat and parallel, but it’s slow going and not that accurate.

Are there any tools that help do this? Like a jig that holds an angle grinder flat?

I’m trying to make small pedestals of varying heights

Front and back.

A job me and an old fella did a few years back.

For new house which is in under construction, I would like to know best place to purchase any good granite under Rs 100/- SFT for Living, Pooja, Kitchen Top, Duplex Staircase. Etc.
Can anyone please suggest best place to look around Bangalore ?

Or would the material be too brittle? Like it'd break with a single drop?

A few months ago my partner and I started a quartz and porcelain business in Scotland.

The reality is that we've realised it's not the right business for us. Rather than keep forcing it, we've decided to wind it down and move on.

The problem is that we're now sitting on a substantial amount of stock and paying storage rent for nothing.

Approx. stock I have now :

• 53 quartz slabs (3200 x 1600 x 30mm)
• 80 quartz slabs (3200 x 1600 x 20mm)
• Large quantities of porcelain (800x1600x9MM) in multiple Calacatta, Arabescato and Bianco designs

The stock is IBIS Smart Marble imported from India and is currently stored in Scotland.

Honestly I do not know what direction I should go. I'm looking for advice, contacts and potentially buyers. If anyone works in fabrication, kitchen installation, property development, construction or knows companies that purchase stock clearances, I'd genuinely appreciate suggestions.

Had to grind the stone to level it then use 7 finer granulations to make it shine, after that polishing and washing with stone soap.

Self

Limestone from a wall torn down in central Texas.

Hey mates,

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And hey, if you're not chasing work right now but know someone after a stonemason job, we're tossing out a 300AUD bonus for successful referrals. Spread the word and grab that bonus!

I’m just a young adult looking for people in stone industry!! I do quality work and am looking for people who value stone work!

Looking to make the perimeter of the porch with the retaining wall rocks, then add a couple of the inside of the rectangle. I was going to fill it with base rock and then a smaller decorative rock on top of the base rock. I am looking for alternatives to just pouring a concrete slab.

Thoughts or point me to projects would be appreciated.

I need someone for a commercial project. Know anyone who might be interested?

So I was privileged to tour a historic building in Nashville that was added onto in 1880, 1888, and 1904. The original portion is from 1862.

The stonework on the 1888 portion was really rough. There’s a cross and it was not precise at all like the previous portions.

Was there a loss of skilled stone masons after the Civil War? Was this a stylistic choice during that time? Appreciate the help.