Natural stone is a powerful material that is ripped directly from the sides of craggy faced mountain ranges. It is quarried in raw massive chunks, which are then sliced down, refined, gauged, and made appropriate for use in the home. Despite this however, when you actually look at the surface of a piece of stone, you can see the strength and inner dignity that it retains from its mountainous heritage.

There are many different types of natural stone which are available, and they each have their own distinct qualities and colors. Marble is relatively soft, but can be honed to a high glossy polish on its surface. Granite is much harder, and can also be polished smooth. Materials such as slate and quartz are also very hard, but they retain a more rustic clefted finish, even when refined. Limestone and Travertine are relatively soft stones, but they have the peculiar property of weathering down over time, which is actually a sought after style for many architects and designers.

Natural stone can be used in a variety of applications around the home. The most common is in architectural projects. You will often find it used in flooring, wall veneers, and countertops around the house. The most common place to see natural stone installations are in bathroom vanities, and kitchens, where tiling can help to make mess removal easier.

There are also a variety of companies that produce smaller natural stone decorative and functional items. This can include products such as clocks, games, kitchen accessories, lamps, vases, and serving trays. Often you will have the choice of purchasing these items in a smooth honed, shining polished, or naturally clefted surface treatment.

One of the important properties to understand about natural stone is that it has miniscule pores in its surface, which can soak up moisture when something is spilled on it. Certain types of stone have smaller pores, such as granite and slate, while other have larger pores, such as marble and sandstone. The smaller the pores the more resilient the stone is to stains and water damage that can occur from water seeping into the stone, then freezing and expanding. In some cases these absorbent pores are actually used in a positive fashion, such as in sets of absorbent drink coasters that are designed to absorb the moisture from a sweaty glass, and hold it within the stone, until it can evaporate away into the air.

In many architectural applications the installers will apply a chemical sealant to stone, that can effectively clog the pores in the material, protecting it from liquid damage. A second chemical sealant can also be applied to create an invisible shield over the surface of the stone. These chemicals are completely invisible and harmless, and only affect the ability of the stone to avoid staining damage.

In recent years the popularity of stone has been on the rise. Many people see this mountain born material as being more natural, and in touch with the real living world, and so they choose to use it in their homes and offices. In a way this is a reaction to the plastic molded computer digitized world around us, a kind of rebellion of the spirit, in which they seek to reunite with the primal power of their ancient past.

This article was produced on behalf of PebbleZ.com - makers of natural stone home decor  products. The writing for this piece was done by artist and design philosopher Joey Pebble.