The developments of the Brazilian exports of ornamental rocks in 2008 reflected the crisis in the housing market in the United States and the world economic recession. Exports reached the figure of US$ 954 million, corresponding to sales of slightly less than 2 million tons, which meant a negative variation of 13, 17% and 20, 98% respectively, with respect to 2007.
The scientific name Porphyry, in the modern scientific classification of rocks, it is used only as a commercial term to indicate a volcanic rock with peculiar characteristics and susceptible to particular uses. The classic porphyry and trentine is the volcanic rock coming from the Italian region of Trentino- Alto Adige.
The U.S, market is a very fractured market with various levels of distribution. Producers typically are quarries with small fabrication plants capable normally of producing only cubical work. This work is sold to contractors for cladding of commercial buildings, or large residential jobs for walls and retainer walls or other uses in residential construction. Very few producers are capable of producing tiles and slabs for the residential market.
As an ancient civilisation with so many memorable monuments and sculptures bequeathed to the world, and use of marble providing a testimony of its glorious past, it is but natural to ask the question, what were the Greek marbles used in antiquity. This article is a brief description of the marbles of ancient times, and the wonder is many of them are still being be used today.
Our thanks to the Greek magazine Marmor and to Mr Panos Tomaras for their help and information provided for this article.
A large and very special piece of art, using Greek Kaviros marble and high-grade steel, was made in 2002 in the city of Neuchâtel in French speaking western Switzerland. It was a highly demanding job not only for the artists, but also for the stonemasons involved.
During the fair Euroc Expo, held in the French town of Castres last June, the first edition of the Funerary Design Competition "René Gargi" also took place, in memory of the ex-editor of the French magazine "Le Mausòlèe" who recently passed away.
This is the second part of our report on the marbles in Ancient Greece that were used in the classical age in the elaboration of monuments that constitute the cultural patrimony of an entire civilisation, and some of which continue to be used today. Our gratitude to the Greek magazine Marmor and Panos Tomaras for their help in this report.
Gesa Todt
More than two centuries ago in the history of lithography, natural stone was brought to the printing press. On August 4th and 5th 2002, however, for the first time it was the other way around, and, as a result, the world biggest lithography was produced.
During the last 15 years, while the Indian granite industry has gone through a strong growth period with a major expansion in extraction of blocks and in the production of slabs and tiles, another less known segment has also been growing steadily and increasing its market share in the world markets. We refer to the Indian gravestone manufacturing industry is still growing steadily. The important and interesting point to note is that this industry and its products have no market at all in India; it is a 100% export oriented industry.
