Stones for carving.
Almost any stone can be carved, but obviously some are easier than others. It all depends on what you are making from that stone. If you’re making something that is going to get a lot of wear and tear, then a hard wearing stone is required: Hard limestone; hard sandstone; granite; york stone…. all these can stand many years of hard use and abuse.
If your stone is required for something more decorative and not subject to so much wear, then you can use a softer stone. Stone Fireplaces; architectural carving and detail; window heads and mullions can all be made from softer limestone.
The beauty of a softer limestone, is that it can be worked much easier, and therefore faster. This can obviously offer some savings in labour costs without any compromise in quality.
Our stone fireplaces are made largely from Limestone quarried in Northern France. We use only the most attractive and figured limestones and these are particulary suitable for an imposing stone fireplace that is to go into a traditional or period building. Once carved from solid blocks, the limestone will gradually harden with exposure to air as it dries out. Every piece is different and unique. Some pieces contain sea shells from when the sediment settled and was compressed into stone many millions of years ago.
We never know what a piece of stone contains until we cut it, and that is part of the magic of such a beautiful natural material.