This document discusses ornamental stones. It begins with an introduction stating that ornamental stones are stones used for decorative purposes and that India has a wide variety of dimensional stones found across the country. It then covers the nature of occurrence of ornamental stones, explaining they are extracted from quarries or underground mines. The document lists some common ornamental stones found in India like marble, granite, sandstone, and provides a brief history of ornamental stone use and some examples of where they can be found in everyday life. It concludes by stating ornamental stones have many uses in architecture and construction and are mined in many countries around the world.

1. ORNAMENTAL STONES
UNDER THE GUIDANCE OF
Dr.A BALASUBRAHMANYAN
UNIVERSITY OFD MYSORE
SUBMITTED BY
ANJU SURESH
II MSc APPLIED GEOLOGY
GE 116006
ORNAMENTAL STONES 1

2. CONTENTS
1. INTRODUCTION
2. NATURE OF OCCURANCE
3. HISTORY
4. WHERE CAN WE FIND IT IN EVERYDAY LIFE?
5. LIST OF ORNAMENTAL STONES
6. STONE FOR SPECIFIC USE
7. USES OF ORNAMENTAL STONES
8. CONCLUSION
9. REFERENCES
ORNAMENTAL STONES 2

3. INTRODUCTION
The Stones that can be used
for ornamental purposes are called Ornamental
Stones.India possesses a wide spectrum of
dimensional stones that
include granite, marble, sandstone, limestone, slat
e, and quartzite, in various parts of the country.
The Indian stone
industry has evolved into the production and
manufacturing of blocks, flooring slabs, structural
slabs, monuments, tomb
stones, sculptures, cobbles, pebbles and landscape
garden stones.
ORNAMENTAL STONES 3

4. ORNAMENTAL STONES 4

5. HOW IS IT FOUND IN NATURE??????????
Ornamental stone is extracted
from open-pit quarries, although on occasions it is
mined underground.
A range of groups of ornamental
rocks exist, mainly: slates and marbles (metamorphic),
whose texture and original composition have been
modified due to factors such as pressure or temperature;
granites (igneous), formed through the cooling and
solidification of magma; and limestone (sedimentary),
made up of transformed materials, formed through the
consolidation of mineral material and sediments
produced through erosion.
ORNAMENTAL STONES 5

6. HISTORY
In Syria and Palestine, ornamental rocks were being used for the
raising up of huts as early as around 8,000B.C. Great works such as
the Egyptian pyramids (limestone on the outside, marble on the inside)
constructed in 2,500B.C, were also raised up using these minerals.
Furthermore, the Roman Empire also used these quarry materials for
the building of important infrastructures such as the aqueduct of
Segovia (granite without mortar), constructed at the beginning of the
second century A.D, one of the most important construction projects of
the Roman Empire, which, with its nigh-on 15km extension and 163
archways, holds aloft a channel which transported water to supply the
almost 5,000 inhabitants of the city.
But the real leap forward in the evolution of ornamental stone as a
building material took place during the second half of the 20th century,
thanks to the great advances of the construction industry which drove
the demand for, and use of, this material, not just as a basic building
component, but also as a decorative accessory.
ORNAMENTAL STONES 6

7. WHERE CAN WE FIND IT IN EVERYDAY LIFE????????
Igneous stones have a range of applications in the construction sector due to their
abundance, solidity and attractive aspect. Granite, for example, is used in paving stones,
façades, work tops, kitchens, bathrooms, chimneys and in funeral art. Another igneous
rock, basalt, is used for constructions under water, small-scale brickwork and as gravel
for road surfaces.
Limestone stands out among sedimentary rocks, being used as gravel for roadways
subject to high levels of humidity. It is also used for masonry, ashlars, façades,
ornamental features, concrete and the manufacture of lime and cement.
Finally, within the family of metamorphic rocks, we find marble and slate. Marble has
been used since antiquity in practically all aspects of construction, from foundations to
the most delicate ornamental features. Slate, on the other hand, is used to obtain flat,
waterproof and relatively thin sheets, which are used in masonry and for covering
exteriors and interiors.
ORNAMENTAL STONES 7

8. LIST OF ORNAMENTAL STONES
1. MARBLE:
Marble was used for building tombs, temples and palaces.
For a long time it was considered as Royal Stone.It is found in various parts
of India like Rajasatan, Jaipur, Delhi etc.
2.GRANITE:
India has varieties of granite in over 200 shades. Resources are found
in Madhya Pradesh, Orissa, Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, Jharkhand,
Chhattisgarh, Rajasthan and Andhra Pradesh.
3.SANDSTONE:
Sandstone reserves in India are found over the states of Andhra
Pradesh, Assam, Bihar, Gujarat, Haryana, Madhya Pradesh, Meghalaya,
Mizoram, Karnataka, Orissa, Punjab, Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh, Tamil
Nadu and West Bengal. Over 90% of the deposits of sandstone are in
Rajasthan.
4.SLATE:
Slate reserves in India are found in Rajasthan, Haryana, Himachal
Pradesh etc.ORNAMENTAL STONES 8

9. ORNAMENTAL STONES 9

10. USES OF ORNAMENTAL STONES
ORNAMENTAL STONES 10

11. CONCLUSION
Ornamental Stones are found in various parts of India
.They are used in various purposes like architecture,
construction etc. ornamental stones have to be extracted
from the earth. Some of the largest mining
developments of these rocks are to be found in
countries such as China, Italy, Turkey, Brazil and
Spain. Nations in whose ornamental stone quarries
MAXAM Civil Explosives carries out a fundamental
role, providing its blasting products and services in
many mining developments, often as sole provider.
ORNAMENTAL STONES 11

12. REFERENCES
• https://www.maxam.net/en/foundation/ornamental_stones
• www.ornamentalstone.ca/
• https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_decorative_stones
ORNAMENTAL STONES 12