Designation: C119 – 11

Standard Terminology Relating to

Dimension Stone1
This standard is issued under the fixed designation C119; the number immediately following the designation indicates the year of
original adoption or, in the case of revision, the year of last revision. A number in parentheses indicates the year of last reapproval. A
superscript epsilon (´) indicates an editorial change since the last revision or reapproval.
This standard has been approved for use by agencies of the Department of Defense.

INTRODUCTION

Dimension stone, as used here, is natural stone that has been selected and fabricated to specific sizes
or shapes, with or without one or more mechanically dressed or finished surfaces, for use as building
facing, curbing, paving stone, monuments and memorials, and various industrial products. The term
dimension stone is in contradistinction to crushed and broken stone, such as is used for aggregate,
roadstone, fill, or chemical raw materials. Because all stone is a natural material, the definition
excludes all manmade materials that simulate stone. In common practice, some dimension stones are
reinforced, filled, or surface treated.
Terms used in definitions and nomenclature shall be interpreted in accordance with commonly
accepted scientific and technical terms of the geological sciences except as otherwise specifically
noted.
Examples of such exceptions are the broader commercial definitions of granite and marble, which
have become well established in the dimension stone industry and trade. Definitions and terms
included in these definitions have been formulated in accordance with common industrial usage where
this is not in conflict with current scientific usage.

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GENERAL TERMS cladding—nonload-bearing stone used as the facing material
in wall construction that contains other materials.
anchor—in general, a metal shape inserted into a slot or hole
coping—dimension stone used as the top course of a masonry
in the stone that provides for the transfer of loads from the
wall, often sloped to shed water.
stone to the building structure, either directly or through an
crack—a partial break in the stone (see fracture, microcrack,
intermediate structure.
seam).
anchorage—the system consisting of stone, anchor and pri-
cubic stock—in general, a thick dimension stone unit which is
mary structure, secondary structure or back-up preventing
not precisely defined in terms of thickness for every kind of
lateral movement of the stone.
stone, particularly for limestone and sandstone. For marble
arris—the junction of two planes of the same stone forming an
or granite, cubic stock is a unit that is greater than 50 mm in
external edge.
thickness. For limestone, cubic stock is a unit that is greater
ashlar—(1) a squared block of building stone; (2) a masonry
than 75 mm to 100 mm in thickness, and for sandstone, a
of such stones; (3) a thin-dressed rectangle of stone for
unit that is greater than 150 mm to 200 mm in thickness. (In
facing of walls (often called ashlar veneer).
contrast, see thin stone.)
building stone—natural rock of adequate quality to be quar-
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cut stone—stone fabricated to specific dimensions.

ried and cut as dimension stone as it exists in nature, as used
dimension stone—natural stone that has been selected and
in the construction industry.
fabricated to specific sizes or shapes.
chip—an irregularly shaped fragment dislodged from a stone
surface. DISCUSSION—The term dimension stone is in contradistinction to
crushed and broken stone, such as is used for aggregate, roadstone, fill,
or chemical raw materials. In common practice, some dimension stones
1
are reinforced, filled, or surface treated.
This terminology is under the jurisdiction of ASTM Committee C18 on
Dimension Stone and is the direct responsibility of Subcommittee C18.91 on dressed stone—See cut stone, finished stone.
Nomenclature and Definitions.
Current edition approved June 15, 2011. Published July 2011. Originally
durability—the measure of the ability of dimension stone to
approved in 1926. Last previous edition approved in 2008 as C119 – 08 ´3. DOI: endure and to maintain its essential and distinctive charac-
10.1520/C0119-11. teristics of strength, resistance to decay, and appearance.

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 C119 – 11
Durability is based on the length of time that a stone can panel—cut stone with face dimensions large in relation to its
maintain its innate characteristics in use. This time will vary thickness, for placement in a building structure or frame
depending on the environment, the use, and the finish of the assembly.
stone in question (for example, outdoor versus indoor use). paving—stone used in an interior pedestrian wearing surface
dry seam—a natural separation that has not been filled or as in patios, walkways, driveways, and the like. (See
bonded. flooring)
fabrication—when applied to dimension stone, any of the pits—small depressions, voids or pinholes in stone, especially
processes involved in changing a raw stone piece to its final on a finished surface.
end use form. This includes, but is not limited to cutting, polished finish—a surface that has high luster and strong
splitting, grinding, drilling, or face-finishing. reflection of incident light.
fading (slate)—a slate that has a significant color change processing—the work involved in transforming quarry blocks
within the first year of exposure to weather, often the result into dimension stone, including sawing, drilling, grinding,
of chemical alteration of the iron minerals. honing, polishing, carving, and all other operations neces-
finished stone—dimension stone with one or more mechani- sary for installation.
cally exposed surfaces. resination—a cosmetic enhancement to stone slabs containing
filling—the application of materials, often cements or synthetic pits, fissures, cracks or other surface irregularities in which
resins, into natural voids in a stone during fabrication. an adhesive resin of epoxy, polyester, or acrylic base has
fissure—a naturally occurring separation which may or may been applied to the slab face and allowed to cure prior to the
not affect the performance of the stone. polishing of the slab.
fleuri-cut (cross-cut), adj—describes stone that is cut parallel ribbon—in some slate, narrow bands of contrasting color or
to the natural veining. appearance differing in some degree in chemical composi-
flooring—stone used as in interior pedestrian wearing surface. tion from the main body.
fracture—a complete break in the stone (see crack, microc- rift—(1) a consistent direction or trend in a rock body along
rack, seam). which the rock is most easily split or broken.
freestone—a stone having little or no preferential direction of
splitting which may be cut freely in any direction without (2) The grain orientation in stone, particularly in sedimen-
fracture or splitting. tary stones, showing more or less clearly how the stone was
grain—(1) a distinguishable rock constituent which itself has originally bedded, and with or without color or grain-size
a distinct identity, for example, a mineral crystal, an oolith, changes or voids.
a rock fragment (in sedimentary rocks), or clast. rock—a naturally occurring, consolidated aggregation of one
(2) a direction in a rock body along which it is more easily or more minerals constituting the crust of the Earth.
broken, split, or cut. See rift. rustication (or reveal)—a continuous groove cut within the
granular—composed of particles visible to the unaided eye. face or along the edge of a dimension stone panel, usually
For sedimentary stone, the predominant particle distribution for the purpose of visually imitating or accentuating a joint

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is less than 4 mm in size. location (see Fig. 1).
hysteresis—the residual strain in stone after the stress causing seam—a naturally filled or bonded feature in the stone, such as
such strain is changed. a streak or a vein, which may or may not adversely affect the
installation—the process of assembling dimension stone into a strength of a stone (see crack, fracture, microcrack).
structure. shaped stone—dimension stone processed by carving, grind-
lamination—when applied to the processing of dimension ing, sawing, or other means into specific nonplanar configu-
stone, refers to the adhesive bonding of multiple layers of rations.
stone, or stone to other materials. shop drawings—when applied to dimension stone , a highly
liner—a small block of stone secured to the rear face of a detailed drawing that shows the net dimensions, joint dimen-
dimension stone panel with pins and adhesive for the sions, anchor locations and orientations, of the dimension
purpose of providing a concealed horizontal bearing surface stone and the relationship with the other building materials
(see Fig. 3a and 3b in C1242). being used.
microcrack—a crack too small to be seen with the unaided eye slab—a piece of stone produced by shaving or splitting in the
(see crack, fracture, seam). first milling or quarrying operation. A slab has two parallel
microfissure—a fissure that cannot be seen with the unaided surfaces.
eye. snip—the area of a stone surface from which a chip has been
monumental stone—rock of adequate quality to be quarried dislodged.
and cut as dimension stone as it exists in nature, as used in sound stone—stone which is free of cracks, fissures, or other
the monument and memorial industry. physical defects.
open seams—unfilled fissures or naturally occurring cracks in spalls—(1) fragments or chips from a piece of dimension
stone. stone. (2) waste stone usually of small size from the

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 C119 – 11
unfading (slate)—a slate that shows no significant color
change within the first year of exposure.
vein-cut, adj—describes stone that is cut perpendicular to the
natural veining.
veining—the presence in an otherwise homogeneous stone of
bands, streaks or irregular bodies of a contrasting color or
appearance, and frequently having a different mineralogical
composition to the predominant material. “Veining” does not
apply to gneiss, commercial granite types, and slate (see
ribbon).
veneer—a nonload-bearing facing of stone attached to a
backing for the purpose of ornamentation, protection, or
insulation.
DISCUSSION—Veneer shall support no vertical load other than its own
weight and possibly the vertical dead load of veneer above.

walls, veneered—See veneer.

waxing—the practice of filling minor surface voids in stone
with certain polyester compounds, cabinetmaker’s wax, or
melted shellac. (It does not refer to the application of paste
wax to make the surface shinier.)
FIG. 1 Rustication
wear—the removal of material or impairment of surface finish
through friction or impact.
quarrying and milling of dimension limestone.
DISCUSSION—Wear is an artificial process. The rate of wear may be
sticking—a method of repairing the butt edge of a broken affected by chemical action.
piece of stone, generally done with dowels, cements, or
epoxies. The pieces are “stuck” together, thus “sticking”. weathering—natural alteration by either chemical or mechani-
stone—a naturally-consolidated substance formed from min- cal processes due to the action of constituents of the
erals, geologically synonymous with rock (see rock, see atmosphere, surface water or ground water, or to temperature
dimension stone if selected or fabricated). change.
DISCUSSION—This term does not include any manufactured stone-like DISCUSSION—Changes by weathering are not necessarily undesirable
products or manmade materials that simulate stone. or harmful; rather they may enhance the texture and color of the stone.

texture—(1) a modified appearance of dimension stone result- STONE FINISHES—BY FAMILY

ing from one or several mechanical surface treatments. Every material used in construction has a finish or surface;
Untreated stone surfaces have textural characteristics de- dimension stone has a plethora of finishes. This section
scribed under (2). describes common finishes and classifies them into a number of
(2) that aspect of the physical appearance of a rock that is families by relief or roughness. The finishes in each family are
determined by size, shape, and mutual relations of the compo- also arranged from the least relief to the most relief.
nent grains or crystals. Textures related to dimension stone Stone finishes are a complex matter for a number of reasons.
include equigranular (grains of approximately the same size); New manufacturing or finishing methods or variations or
inequigranular (grains of markedly unequal sizes); porphyritic combinations of other methods of finishing stone are continu-
(see Note 2 under Granite Group); interlocking (in which ally being developed. Stone finish names sometimes overlap or
grains with irregular boundaries interlock by mutual penetra- are variations of other finishes.
tion); interlocking and porphyritic textures are characteristic of Finish options for any kind of stone vary by the geologic
granites and marbles; clastic (naturally cemented fragmental category of the stone (whether igneous, metamorphic, or
grains but without mosaic or interlocking relations; this texture sedimentary) and the unique combination of geological or
is typical of sandstones and some limestones); mosaic (closely physical properties of the stone type. This means that any
packed grains with smooth to moderately irregular, noninter- particular finish cannot be put on every type of stone (see
locking mutual boundaries); granoblastic (a megascopically Applicability of Finishes for Various Stone Types Table in
granular mosaic texture in which the grains are tightly com- Guide C1528 for Selection of Dimension Stone for Exterior
pacted and the minerals are dominantly equidimensional and Use). The individual definitions are sometimes nonspecific or
present irregular mutual boundaries; mosaic and granoblastic nearly overlap. In practice, a detailed definition of a specific
textures are characteristic of metamorphic rocks). stone finish is established between the producer and designer
thermal hysteresis—the permanent, incremental deformation through dialogue, or reference sample(s), or both.
of certain stones due to thermal cycling, usually associated The family or individual title “finish” will be used uniformly
with loss of strength. throughout this section for ease of reference, although the term
thin stone/thin veneer—a cladding under 50 mm (2-in.) thick. “surface” would be more accurate when no work has been done
tile—a thin modular stone unit. on it and no improvements made postquarry (as in certain
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 C119 – 11
rough finishes; see Note 2). “Surface” will be used uniformly DISCUSSION—The resulting texture will vary, depending on the stone
in the sense of the outward appearance or face of the stone. type and the pressure and concentration of impacts. The size and depths
Thus we have the Least Textured Finishes (family) and the of the pits can range from nearly invisible to very pronounced.
Polished (finish)—a highly-reflective surface, and so forth. plucked—a machined surface with occasional pits, obtained
by rough planing the stone surface, thus breaking or “pluck-
Surface Variation ing” out small particles.
The dimensions of variation in surface profile given in the thermal (or flamed)—a roughly textured surface produced by
following definitions are for indicative purposes only. The brief exposure to a high-temperature flame resulting in
values do not denote acceptable tolerances or minimum or exfoliation of the stone surface.
maximum values of surface variation for any given finish.
DISCUSSION—The resulting appearance will vary, depending on the
grain structure of the stone. This process may change the natural color
LEAST TEXTURED FINISHES of the stone.
(less than 1 mm [1⁄32 in.] of surface variation)
bush-hammered—a uniformly textured surface with small
polished—a highly-reflective surface, produced by mechanical evenly-spaced pits produced by a hand or pneumatic ham-
abrasion and buffing. mer and carbide-tipped head having numerous points.
honed—a non-reflective to semi-reflective superfine satin-like tooled—a linear patterned surface, consisting of parallel con-
surface with no surface pattern, produced by mechanical cave grooves 3-6 mm on center (or 4, 6, or 8 grooves per in.),
abrasion. produced by hand or pneumatic chisel, or planer tool.
smooth—a non-reflective surface with a barely-visible surface water jet—a roughly textured surface produced by exposure to
pattern of random markings, produced by mechanical abra- a high-pressure stream of water.
sion.
machine gauged—a process by which stone material is DISCUSSION—The resulting texture will vary, depending on the stone
type, the pressure of the water jet stream, and the nozzle speed and
removed (see Note 1) to a specified thickness, incidentally
position as it traverses the surface of the stone.
resulting in a finish.
6/8 cut (or 6/8 point)—a herringbone patterned surface,
NOTE 1—The resulting coarsely ground surface can be produced by a
number of methods.
consisting of short parallel concave grooves rotated 10 to 30
degrees from each other, produced by a hand or pneumatic
hand-rubbed—a non-reflective surface with a slight stipple hammer fitted with a carbide-tipped chisel of closely-spaced
pattern, produced by hand-applied abrasive pads or hand- blades.
held machines.
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ROUGH FINISHES
AGED FINISHES (3 mm [1⁄8 in.] or more in surface variation)
(less than 3 mm [1⁄8 in.] of surface variation)
natural cleft—an irregularly textured low-relief surface, pro-
acid-washed—a worn surface produced by applying acid. duced by splitting stone along its bedding plane, stratifica-
antiqued—a worn surface produced by applying abrasive tion, or rift.
tools, sometimes in combination with acid and/or wet/dry split face—a slightly convex or concave surface, produced by
abrasive. hydraulic stone splitters with straight or toothed blades or by
tumbled—a worn surface produced by rotating stone objects driving wedges into a stone without natural cleavage sur-
(like tiles) in a drum, sometimes with sand or aggregate faces.
stone, until the faces and edges become eroded. rock face (or rock-pitched)—a split surface that has been
dressed by machine or by hand to produce a convex bold
SAWN FINISHES projection along the face of the stone. This finish provides a
(1 mm to 5 mm [1⁄32 in. to 3⁄16 in.] of surface variation) bolder, more massive appearance than split face. See Fig. 2.
diamond sawn—a surface with a very low-relief pattern of
linear and/or curved grooves, produced by diamond saw
blades (either circular, belt, or gang).
wire sawn—a surface with a pattern of linear and/or curved
grooves produced by a wire saw.
chat sawn—a surface with shallow linear grooves, produced
by gangsawing with coarse chat sand.
shot sawn—a surface with random grooves and markings,
produced by gangsawing with chilled steel shot.

TEXTURED FINISHES
(1 mm to 6 mm [1⁄32 in. to 1⁄4 in.] of surface variation)
sandblasted—an irregular, pitted surface produced by impact-
ing sand particles at high velocity against a stone surface. FIG. 2 Rock Face Diagram

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 C119 – 11
NOTE 2—The above rough finishes and other less-common ones can some of the same purposes as commercial granite. They possess an
have a different appearance when separated along the bedding, stratifica- interlocking crystalline texture but, unlike granites, they contain little or
tion, or rift, or perpendicular to it. This applies in particular to finishes no quartz or alkali feldspar. Instead, black granites are composed
sometimes called natural strata and bed face, among others. dominantly of intermediate to calcic plagioclase accompanied by one or
DISCUSSION—A dimension stone finish selection and specification more common dark rock-forming minerals such as pyroxenes, horn-
procedure will consider all surface finishes on a stone unit. A typical blende, and biotite. Such rocks, because of their relatively high content
piece will be sawn to particular dimensions on six sides. A finish is of iron and magnesium, are designated as ferromagnesian or mafic. An
often specified for more than one side. For example, a stair step may exception is anorthosite which, though commonly dark, consists
have a thermal finish on the tread side, a honed finish on the riser side, mostly or entirely of calcic plagioclase.
and the remaining unexposed surfaces could be left with a sawn finish. DISCUSSION—Iridescent Granite—A labradoritic granite character-
ized by a play of colors, ranging from clearly visible to brilliant. The
GRANITE GROUP play of colors is caused by the intergrowth of unmixed sodium and
calcium plagioclase into very fine lamellae. It is commonly referred to
granite (commercial definition)—a visibly granular, igneous by names such as black pearl, blue pearl, and emerald pearl.
rock generally ranging in color from pink to light or dark
gray and consisting mostly of quartz and feldspars (Note 1), LIMESTONE GROUP
accompanied by one or more dark minerals. The texture is limestone—a rock of sedimentary origin composed principally

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typically homogeneous but may be gneissic or porphyritic of calcium carbonate (the mineral calcite), or the double
(Note 2). Some dark granular igneous rocks, though not carbonate of calcium and magnesium (the mineral dolomite),
geologically granite, are included in the definition (Note 3). or some combination of these two minerals.
DISCUSSION—Granite (scientific definition)—A visibly granular, crys- DISCUSSION—Recrystallized limestone, compact microcrystalline
talline rock with equigranular or inequigranular texture, normally limestone, and travertine that are capable of taking a polish are also
having an essential composition of two feldspars (alkali feldspar plus included in the category commercial marble and may be sold as either
sodic plagioclase or two alkali feldspars (see second paragraph)) and limestone or marble.
quartz; certain granites contain only one feldspar. Quartz may amount
to 10 to 60 % of the felsic (light-colored) constituents, while alkali Special varieties of commercial limestone
feldspars may constitute about 35 to 100 % of total feldspars. Feldspars
may be present as individual grains, or may be mutually intergrown on calcarenite—a limestone composed predominantly of clastic
a megascopic to submicroscopic scale. Besides quartz and feldspars, sand-size grains of calcite, or rarely aragonite, commonly as
granite typically also contains varietal minerals, commonly micas or tiny fossils, shell fragments, or other fossil debris.
hornblende, or both, more rarely pyroxene.
DISCUSSION—Some calcarenites contain oolites (or ooliths), that is,
Alkali feldspar refers to a range of composition between small spherical or subspherical grains that are composed of concentric
KAlSi3O8(potassic feldspar end member) and NaAlSi3O8(albite end layers of calcite and typically resemble roe. Such rocks may be termed
member), with 0 to 10 % of CaAl2Si2O8(anorthite end member). oolitic limestones if the oolites are present in substantial amounts.
Potassic feldspar, which in granites is typically orthoclase or micro- Oolitic limestones are calcarenites, but not all calcarenites are oolitic
cline, forms a nearly complete isomorphous series with the albite end limestones. The shell fragments and small fossils of some calcarenites
member. The albite-anorthite compositional range, which may include have concentric coatings of calcite that may cause them to resemble
as much as 10 % of KAlSi3O8 in solid solution, represents a continuous oolites but the term oolitic is not appropriate for such calcarenites
isomorphous series known as plagioclase feldspars; these have been unless true oolites also are present.
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arbitrarily subdivided according to the ration of anorthite (An) to albite

(Ab) at 10, 30, 50, 70, and 90 % An. The plagioclase of granite sensu coquina—a limestone composed predominantly of unaltered
stricto commonly is oligoclase (An10−30), less commonly albite shells or shell fragments loosely cemented by calcite.
(An0−10).
DISCUSSION—Coquina generally is very coarse-textured and has high
DISCUSSION—Gneiss—A foliated crystalline rock composed essen- porosity.
tially of silicate minerals with interlocking and visibly granular texture
in which the foliation is due primarily to alternating layers, regular or dolomite—a sedimentary carbonate rock (a variety of lime-
irregular, of contrasting mineralogic composition. In general, a gneiss stone) that consists largely or entirely of the mineral dolo-
is characterized by relatively thick layers as compared with a schist. mite.
According to their mineralogic compositions gneisses may correspond
to other crystalline rocks with visibly granular, interlocking texture, DISCUSSION—The rock term dolomite, as applied to dimension stone,
such as those included under the definition of commercial granite, and is synonymous with the term dolostone as used in sedimentary
then may be known as granite gneiss, granodiorite gneiss, etc., if petrology.
strongly foliated, and gneissic granite, etc., if weakly foliated. This
distinction is subjective and not critical. microcrystalline limestone—a limestone that consists largely
DISCUSSION—Porphyritic Texture—A texture defined by relatively or wholly of crystals that are so small as to be recognizable
large grains (phenocrysts), typically of feldspar, that are distributed in only under magnification. If it is capable of taking a polish,
a distinctly finer-grained matrix. The phenocrysts of porphyritic gran- it is classified commercially as a marble.
ites generally are rectangular or partly rounded in outline, and may be oolitic limestone—a limestone composed largely of the spheri-
as much as several centimetres in maximum dimension. cal or subspherical particles called oolites or ooliths.
DISCUSSION—Black Granites—Dark-colored igneous rocks defined recrystallized limestone—a limestone in which a new pattern
by geologists as basalt, diabase, gabbro, diorite, and anorthosite are
quarried as building stone, building facings, monuments, and speciality
of crystallinity has pervasively replaced the crystal orienta-
purposes and sold as black granite. The chemical and mineralogical tion in the original clastic particles, fossils or fossil frag-
compositions of such rocks are quite different from those of true ments, and interstitial cement. The new generation of crys-
granites, but black granites nevertheless may be satisfactorily used for tals, encompassing both fragmental and matrix materials,

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 C119 – 11
extends across boundaries between former crystals. The new form thin slabs (flagstone). The term bluestone is applied
crystals generally are larger than those of the original rock. principally to stone with the above characteristics quarried in
Evidence of original textures may or may not be retained. the eastern United States. This term is also used in reference
See also marble (next section). to British dolerite and Australian basalt in their respective
travertine—See travertine in OTHER GROUP. countries.
DISCUSSION—Varieties of sandstone are commonly designated by the
MARBLE GROUP
kind of interstitial or bonding materials, as siliceous sandstone (bond-
All stone here defined as marble must be capable of taking a ing material largely silica); calcareous sandstone (calcium carbonate as
polish. bonding material or as detrital grains, or both); argillaceous sandstone
Stone in this category comprises a variety of compositional (a sandstone with sufficient amounts of clay present to cause only
and textural types, ranging from pure carbonate to rocks partial silica bonding of quartz grains, but still meet the criteria of
sandstone definition. The integrity of this stone is very sensitive to
containing very little carbonate that are classed commercially
moisture in exterior applications); ferruginous sandstone (a sandstone
as marble (for example, serpentine marble). Most marbles with prominent amounts of iron oxide minerals present, characteristi-
possess an interlocking texture and a range of grain size from cally imparting a red-brown or brown color to the stone [brownstone],
cryptocrystalline to 5 mm. see Note 3). The more common commercial varieties of sandstone are
defined as follows:
marble (I calcite, II dolomite)2—carbonate rock that has
acquired a distinctive crystalline texture by recrystallization, DISCUSSION—sandstone (scientific definition)—sedimentary rock
most commonly by heat and pressure during metamorphism, composed mostly of mineral and rock fragments within the sand size
and is composed principally of the carbonate minerals calcite range, from 0.06 to 2.0 mm, and having a minimum of 60 % free silica,
and dolomite, singly or in combination. cemented or bonded to a greater or lesser degree by materials including
limestone marble—compact, dense limestone that will take a silica and various carbonates with iron oxides or clay sometimes
polish is classified as marble in trade practice. Limestone present, and which fractures around (not through) the constituent
grains.
marble may be sold as limestone or as marble. quartzitic sandstone (scientific definition)–sandstone containing at least
onyx marble—translucent, generally layered, cryptocrystal- 90 % free silica (quartz grains plus siliceous cement), which may
line calcite with colors in pastel shades, particularly yellow, fracture around or through the constituent grains.
brown, and green. quartzite (scientific definition)highly indurated, typically metamor-
phosed sandstone containing at least 95 % free silica, which fractures
DISCUSSION—Onyx marble is formed by slow precipitation from conchoidally through the grains.
generally cold solutions of carbonated (carbon-dioxide saturated) Brownstone—a dense, medium-grained stone, locally grading to con-
spring water. glomerate, with a distinctive dark brown to red-brown color. The term
DISCUSSION—The term “onyx” to designate onyx marble is a misno-
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has been applied to stone quarried in the Jurassic-Triassic basins in the

mer. True onyx is a nearly pure crystalline silica (silicon dioxide) northeastern United States (mainly Massachusetts, Connecticut, and
closely related to agate, a semi-precious stone. Pennsylvania), but the geographic limitation is undesirable.
QUARTZ-BASED DIMENSION STONE GROUP DISCUSSION—These detrital stone types are locally quarried but are
commerically unimportant:
sandstone (commercial definition) (I)3—sedimentary rock conglomerate—a sedimentary rock consisting of rounded pebbles
composed mostly of mineral and rock fragments within the and cobbles in a sandstone matrix, typically strongly cemented.
sand size range, from 0.06 to 2.0 mm, and having a siltstone—a fine-grained, noncarbonated clastic rock composed
minimum of 60 % free silica, cemented or bonded to a mostly of detrital quartz and clay minerals in which the particles have
greater or lesser degree by materials including silica and an approximate size range from 0.06 to 0.005 mm. Siltstone may be
designated fine-grained sandstone, and is texturally transitional be-
various carbonates, with iron oxides or clay sometimes
tween sandstone and shale.
present, and which has a compressive strength over 28 MPa
(4,000 psi). SLATE GROUP
quartzitic sandstone (commercial definition) (II) 3 —
sandstone containing at least 90 % free silica (quartz grains slate—microcrystalline metamorphic rock most commonly
plus siliceous cement), which has a compressive strength derived from shale and composed mostly of micas, chlorite,
over 69 MPa (10 000 psi). and quartz. The micaceous minerals have a subparallel
quartzite (commercial definition) (III)3—highly indurated, orientation and thus impart strong cleavage to the rock which
typically metamorphosed sandstone containing at least 95 % allows the latter to be split into thin but tough sheets.
free silica, which has a compressive strength of over 117 shale—a laminated, indurated rock which is over two-thirds
MPa (17 000 psi). clay-sized minerals. Shales progressively grade into slate.
bluestone—a dense, hard, fine-grained, commonly feldspathic When put to slate-like uses these rocks must meet slate
sandstone of medium to dark greenish-gray or bluish-gray specifications in Specification C629.
color that may split readily along original bedding planes to DISCUSSION—This detrital stone type is locally quarried but is
commercially unimportant.

2
Designations I through IV correspond to Table 1 in Specification C503, for OTHER GROUP
Marble Dimension Stone, Vol 04.08.
3
Designations I through III correspond to Specification D616, for Quartz-Based There are a number of stones that are infrequently used.
Dimension Stone, Vol 04.08. Some semiprecious stones such as jade are cut and used as
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 C119 – 11
dimension stone. They would most commonly be used as a site (magnesium carbonate) or a combination.
contrast or accent in connection with other dimension stone. DISCUSSION—The stone referred to here as serpentine is called
Other stones include: serpentinite in scientific usage to distinguish it from the mineral
alabaster—a soft, easily carved massive form of gypsum serpentine.
(calcium sulfate), often pleasingly blotched and stained. A soapstone (steatite)—a talc-rich rock with a characteristic
banded stalagmitic calcite is also called alabaster. slippery feel. Soapstone is quarried for special purposes,
greenstone—a metamorphic rock of basic or ultrabasic com- such as fireplaces and laboratory counter tops, because of its
position, of very fine grain size, ranging in color from refractory nature and resistance to acids.
medium green to yellowish green to almost black. travertine—a porous or cellularly layered partly crystalline
schist—a foliated metamorphic quartz-feldspar-containing calcite rock of chemical origin.
rock characterized by thin foliae of platy or prismatic
minerals such as mica or chlorite. Schists split readily along DISCUSSION—Travertine is formed by precipitation of calcite from
generally hot or warm solutions of carbonated water, usually at the
these planes of foliation. This rock exists in many gradua-
bottom of shallow pools. Pores and cavities commonly are concentrated
tions, some of them progressing into a gneiss. in some of the layers, giving rise to an open texture.
serpentine (commercial definition)—a rock consisting DISCUSSION—Travertine is sometimes classified for commercial pur-
mostly or entirely of serpentine (hydrated magnesium sili- poses as limestone because it is composed principally of calcium
cate), commonly greenish but can be black, red, or other carbonate and is sometimes classified for commercial purposes as
colors; commonly veined with calcite, dolomite, or magne- marble if it is capable of taking a polish.

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