In the past five years especially I have seen some very fine looking
multi-coloured and multi-shaped “artificial stones” on the fronts of
homes and businesses. Sometimes I walk up very close and study them
because they look so “real”.
You can’t wear them on your finger but would anybody like to discuss
how such stones are made?
PtP
Hi Peter,
Are you talking of acrylic stones or simultant stones or synthetic
stones.Plz make it clear.
Rishi.
Sarraf Gems.
www.researchut.com/gems
Hello Rishi:
I am interested in learning more about building stones at this time
rather than jewelry stones though those are very nice looking gems on
your web site. And of course I have no objection if the moderator
wishes to develop either thread.
What intrigues me is, as I posted earlier, that the building stones
used for home and office sidings, walls etc. seem to be surpassing
natural stones by just about every criterion.
I suppose the same can be said of diamonds, rubies and emeralds
these days too. Would you call these simulant stones or synthetic
stones?
Your third category is acrylic stones and I understand it, acrylic
polymer may be used for the bonding of artificial building stones, eg
http://www.rockandwater.com
We may call these building stones “artificial” but they seem to use
much the same ingredients and processes of natural stone: (1)
rock/mineral powder, grit or gravel (loose sediments as they are
called in geology) ; (2) bonding chemicals like lime; (3) pressure to
add to the bonding; (4) heat
I guess with synthetic diamonds etc. the temperatures and pressures
are extreme.
There is an interesting historic web site on the making of Toronto
bricks since the 1800s from clays, then shales (crushed) at
http://www.lostrivers.ca/points/Brickmaking.html
I no longer live in Toronto but I have relatives living in those
nice looking red brick houses.
Dare we call what is underway now a “revolution” in stonemaking?
The wiki tells us that in 2007 a new type of brick made from fly ash
was invented. I googled around and found that actually others had
been building fly ash bricks a few years earlier. Here in BC I have
prospected a number of volcanic ash deposits. The volcanic ash may be
as fine as fly ash so naturally I wonder how it would do in making
these new bricks.
The multi-coloured artificial stone sidings we see more and more on
“upscale” homes are impressive. In addition to meeting high
aesthetic standards we read about the new artificial building stones
and bricks being lighter and stronger than natural stones. Why not?
The cracks (faults) which are ubiquitous in natural stones can be
eliminated.
So I wonder if we are seeing the beginning of the end for natural
stones in fireplaces, walls etc. unless of course they are abundant,
close at hand and free.
PtP