Ticos Marble

These are mineral stones, formed from non-living things.

GRANITE
An igneous (1) rock of volcanic origin with 10 to 50% quarts and at least 50% feldspar, and some silica. Granite is usually resistant to abrasion, weathering and chemicals. The color of this stone comes from the feldspar components.

QUARTZITE
A metamorphic (2) rock formed from sandstone (3). Sandstone becomes quartzite through repeated heating and cooling deep underground, usually due to tectonic (4) compression.

SERPENTINE
A metamorphic (2) rock primarily composed of magnesium silicate, and is generally green in color. This is a very dense, abrasion and chemical resistant stone, and is considered a softer granite.

SOAPSTONE
This is a form of serpentine containing talc, giving it a feeling of soap. Soapstone, often used in countertops, it has excellent heat retention making it useful in fireplaces. It is softer than some other stones and scratches more easily, but this may be an advantage with country or rustic designs.

(1) Igneous: Stone formed from the solidification of magma or lava, and may or may not include crystals.

(2) Metamorphic: This is a type of stone created by being subject to constant great heat and pressure causing great changes in physical appearance and/or chemistry that change one type of stone into another.

(3) Sandstone: An often layered, sedimentary stone, usually composed of sand-sized minerals or grains of rock (quartz and/or feldspar most of the time), and compressed into stone.

(4) Tectonic: having to do with the movement of the huge plates that form the crust of the earth and the forces created by that movement.