Natural Stone Industry Glossary

Glossary is usually defined as an alphabetical list of technical terms in some specialized field of knowledge. This Natural Stone industry glossary provides a collection of industry terms that define many products and technical terms. These terms are arranged alphabetically, but you can quickly jump to specific term by selecting its first letter from the index of the glossary below.

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Search Results: 13 Terms Found

OBSIDIAN
A dark, hard volcanic rock (normally black) formed by the rapid solidification of lava.

OFF FALL
The remnants from slabs of marble, granite, or other stones. They can be used for other projects.

OFFSET
A design feature when pieces of material including wood, stones and tiles are intentionally set in an opposite manner.

OGEE
An edge finish, as for countertops, that feature an S-shaped curve.

ONE-MAN BOULDERS
Stones that weigh less than 150 pounds.

ONYX MARBLE
A dense and semi-transparent crystalline rock comprised of calcite and sometimes aragonite.

OOLITIC LIMESTONE
A sedimentary rock formed from spherical grains in concentric layers. This calcite calcareous limestone is often formed from shells and is available in some areas of Indiana, Texas, Alabama and Kansas.

OPALIZED
A stone that has an opalescent nature of reflecting a variety of colors and hues as does a natural opal.

OPHICALCITE
A metamorphic rock that is similar to a serpentine marble; can be white due to high calcium content, green, or red.

ORGANIC
Naturally occurring compounds that are biological in origin.

OUT-CROP
Rocks or stones that appear above ground level.

OUT-OF-WIND
In masonry, typically refers to veneer stones that do not feature perpendicular or parallel lines that are irregular or rustic in their appearance.

OVER BURDEN
The waste stone in quarries that covers the useful or prized underlying stones.