Glossary of Terms

Stone that has been extracted from the earth by means of man power and machines

One who extracts natural stone from a quarry

The location of an operation where a natural deposit of stone is removed from the ground

Generally a rectangular piece of rough stone as it comes from the quarry, frequently scabbed (dressed) or wire-sawed for shipment

In building stone, unselected materials within the ranges of color and texture available from the quarry that is the source

Natural moisture in stone deposits and freshly quarried stone

A molding having a profile of one-quarter of a circle

Silicon dioxide occurring in colorless and transparent or colored hexagonal crystals and also in crystalline masses. One of the most common minerals, the chief constituent of quartz-based stone and granite

A stone that may be either sedimentary in formation (as in sandstone) or metamorphic (as in quartzite)

A metamorphic sandstone consisting of quartz grains cemented with silica, but not as hard as quartzite. Geologically, it is an intermediate rock between sandstone and quartzite

A compact granular rock composed of quartz crystals, usually so firmly cemented as to make the mass homogeneous. The stone is generally quarried in stratified layers, the surfaces of which are unusually smooth, and the crushing and tensile strength are extremely high. The color range is wide. Or, a silver-gray, metamorphic sandstone formed in exceedingly hard layers. In some deposits, intrusion of minerals during the formation process created unusual shades of brown and gold

A cut brick having a nominal two-inch horizontal face dimension

Calcium oxide which is crushed limestone that has been calcined

Stones at the corner of a wall emphasized by size, projection, rustication, or by a different finish