We travel the world visiting quarries to select the stones we will bring to our showrooms. We are fortunate to have the opportunity to visit quarries; we build relationships with the quarry owners, and they show us beautiful and unique stones. We are delighted when we can bring these rare, exotic stones to our showroom and ultimately to your home.
Exotic stones are those unique, beautiful and rare slabs of granite, marble, or quartzite that are pulled from the earth as a testament to the artistry of nature.
What makes a stone exotic? Here are three things that distinguish exotic stones from their classic siblings.
1. Availability
Classic stones are highly available. They are mined throughout the world, while exotic stones are rare and often mined in one area or region.
2. Mineral composition
Natural stones have a specific mineral composition. Marble is formed primarily from limestone; granite and quartzite are composed of feldspar and natural quartz – the difference between the stones is that quartzite has a higher percentage of natural quartz. Classic stones do not contain significant amounts of other minerals.
Exotic stones are formed in the same way, but nature has acted on them in some unique manner during their formation. It might be a variation in the mineral composition where they form, it could be large variations in the weather over thousands of years, such as drought or flooding,or it could the result of a natural activity such as soil shifts, earthquakes or volcanic activity. These factors alter the stone that is formed and often produce unique, richly-colored stone.
3. Colors and tones
Classic stones come in classic colors. These are the colors you automatically think of when you think about granite or marble. Those are the classics: timeless and elegant.
Exotic stones start out just like the classic stones, but as time and nature’s artistry influence them they are altered. This often results in rich colors, unusual veining or striking movement and visual patterns in the stone. Some exotics even have gold or silver flecks in them.
Once an exotic stone quarry is depleted, that stone is gone forever, so if you invest in an exotic stone for your home, no one else will have anything like it.
Whether your taste leans toward the traditional or you are looking for something unique for your kitchen countertops and other stone projects, as you plan, we invite you to visit one of our showrooms in Haverhill, MA or West Bridgewater, MA to explore the many options we offer, including classic and exotic stones from around the world.
We look forward to seeing you.