Any stone of sedimentary origin with a granular texture is categorised as sandstone. Geologically, sandstone is a sedimentary rock made up of various mineral particles like quartz, mica and felspar, that is bonded together with natural cements such as silicas, calcium carbonates, iron oxides and clays. The wide range of Natural stone colours occurring in India is due to the individual make up of each sandstone. The best Sandstone in India are spread over the states of Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh, from where Benchmark Impex has its supply units.
There are two broad types of sandstone in India. – Solid blocks and Sedimentary Style Sandstone.
Solid blocks of sandstone have to be cut on gangsaw or circular saws which is similar to marble processing. Rainbow and Teakwood are such sandstones, these can be polished to give a dapper look. These are found in the Khatu region of Rajasthan.
Sedimentary sandstone have natural cleft in them. The clefts are opened manually using chisel and hammer – hence giving the Raw – Riven Sandstone look. The Sandstone blocks are first made into sheets of 25-40mm , and then these sheets of stone are cut into the client’s required dimensions by expert stone masons. The entire process is manual and no machines are involved. A rather new development for such sandstones is to calibrate the stone to 20mm and then tumble it to achieve an Aged look. The Tumbled Indian Sandstone has become very popular in the recent times in the European as well as American market. The main mining area for this type of sandstone is in the region of Kotah in Rajasthan.
Indian Natural Sandstone has many colours ranging from white, grey and buff to various shades of yellow, pink and red. The colour and texture of Indian sandstone is self evidently dramatic, You can see the drama of the changing colours of Indian sandstone, by taking note of colours from dry stone to wet sandstone. Another major role in defining the colour of sandstone is played by Natural weathering. Such colour change can sometimes be viewed on abandoned faces of the quarry. Many designers have been awed by the dramatically unique colour transformations shown by natural sandstone on existing buildings. You can venture on to see buldings constructed from the same stone for recognising the beauty of subtle natural stone colors with weathering.
Sandstones generally have an even texture, which may vary from coarse to fine, but the sandstone from some quarries also show attractive natural markings.
