Every natural stone slab is unique. Some variations you might encounter and should be aware of include:
Pits—Pits appear as tiny divots or chips where grains were released during the polishing process. Pits are so small they often are not visible in certain light or from different viewing angles. They are very common in some stones. Pits do not in any way affect the integrity of the stone. Therefore, it is very important to feel your slab when choosing stone so you will not be surprised upon close inspection after installation.
The word granite derives from the root for grain, and because of its granular nature, it may include tiny pits on the surface. As the Marble Institute of America’s Design Manual, the industry reference manual, explains: “Granites are made up of several different minerals, each having a different hardness. … Biotites, the black minerals throughout the slab, are by contrast very soft and flake easily. All true granites have biotite in their composition. Because biotites are soft and flaky, the first few layers are removed during the polishing process, causing pits. … Pitting does not make the granite less durable or of inferior quality. Pits exist in all granites and should be expected when dealing with a natural, polished stone containing several types of minerals with different hardness.”
Veining—ALL types of stone can have veining; one slab may have none while the next looks like a metropolitan roadmap. This simply indicates the presence of a different mineral than the background composition.
Inclusions—This is a fancy way of saying a portion of the slab that looks different from the rest. They can be small, medium or large; barely noticeable or quite obvious—and beauty is in the eye of the beholder!
Fissures—These look like hair-line cracks in the stone, but are just surface features, and will not widen or grow over time. They do NOT affect the structural integrity of the stone. Usually if you can’t feel it, it’s a fissure. If you can, it’s cracked. Fissures are not something to be repaired; cracks can often be repaired if necessary.
Fill—When slabs are cut from the large chunks of stone at the quarry, there are often voids in the surface. The softer stones, like travertines and limestones, sometimes have so many voids they look like a dense sponge. The quarries will fill these voids and then polish the surface smooth. Sometimes these voids are evident on the cut edges of the slabs. Colored fill is often a prominent feature in the stone. You may find slabs where the fill is not particularly well color-matched.
All of these characteristics of natural stone, although they add to its charm and uniqueness, illustrate why we suggest everyone view their slabs prior to fabrication. You can even locate your template on your slab to maximize or avoid specific areas.
