World Quarries
In countries around the world, stone and marble play an enormous role in the construction of buildings and statuary. Some of the most famous quarries of the world are located in Carrara in Tuscany, Italy; Portland Quarry in England; Paros and Pentellic Quarries in Greece and Rutland Quarry in Vermont, U.S.A.
Purpose of Mining Quarry Rock and Stone
The purpose of open mining of rock and stone in quarries is to provide rock and stone materials for commercial and industrial use, as well as for decorative projects. For example, Trap Rock Industries in New Jersey mines quarry rock mainly for industrial use such as rip rap, commercial and industrial paving and asphalt mixing.
Famous Quarries Found in World Famous Sites
The most famous quarries of the world like Carrara Quarry produce stone for sculpture and decorative building accessories. The Portland England Quarry produces beautiful white limestone used in St. Paul's Cathedral in London, Eddystone Lighthouse and the facade of Waterloo Station.
At the Paros and Pentellic Quarries in Greece, fine grained marble of the calcitic composition is mined. Pentellic marble is white in color with streaks of gold. Sculptors prefer Paros marble due to its pure white translucence. Some of the most famous Greek sculptures, like the statue of Nike and Antinous were created from Parian marble.
Ancient Egyptian Quarries
The attractive appearance of quarry stone was used for obelisks and other ancient Egyptian monuments. For example, a rock temple stands at the Sisileh Quarry site in Egypt. Eighty percent of all Egyptian temples and monuments were constructed from quarry stone of red, black and grey granite.
Present Day Quarries
Today, there has been a resurgence of interest in quarry stone for a variety of residential and business uses such as countertops, pavers, entrance gates and garden sculptures. The world's largest granite quarry is found in Mount Airy, North Carolina, U.S.A. It is the size of 66 football fields and is easily viewed by NASA from space satellites.
Another U.S. state that operates several quarries is Oregon. It produces quarry rock mainly for landscaping use.
A quarry in Pakistan is famous for producing beautiful onyx. Poland quarries produce sandstone blocks while Brazil produces Green Ubatuba quarry stone. India's quarries mine soapstone, used in talc production. Some of the most beautiful ecru hued marble is found in the Crema Marfil Coto marble quarry in Spain. Scotland and Ireland quarry stone and rock are mainly used for construction purposes.
Francini Inc. Marble and Granite
Francini Inc. is a supplier of marble, granite, quartz, travertine, soapstone, vetrite and THIN porcelain. Established in 1994, they are a leader in importation and distribution of engineered and natural stone products.
Francini Inc. is headquartered in Southern California and has additional locations in Boise, Idaho, Raleigh, Greensboro and Wilmington, North Carolina, Sun Valley and also Indio, California.
The expert staff of Francini, Inc. work with their Carrara, Italy factory and also with their purchasing offices in India and Brazil to provide buyers with excellent products.