| Myths Dispelled |
The Marble Institute of America dispells some myth on Natural Stone
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| Spain |
The Valencia and Galicia Regions are the sector´s biggest exporters: Natural stone exports exceed € 1 billion in 2007
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| India |
US recession hits Indian quarries
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May 28, 2009 |
Stone+tec Nürnberg 2009 |
The mood at Stone+tec Nürnberg 2009, the 16th International Trade Fair Natural Stone and Stoneprocessing Technology held in the Exhibition Centre Nuremberg from 20-23 May, largely corresponded to the early summer weather outside the halls: cloudy, but mainly bright. Some 34,000 trade visitors used the four days of the exhibition to source information about the latest range of international products and services in the exhibition segments of natural stone, technology, and gravestones and accessories.
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May 06, 2009 |
U.S Census Bureau News |
The U.S. Census Bureau of the Department of Commerce announced on 4th of May that construction spending during March 2009 was estimated at a seasonally adjusted annual rate of $969.7 billion, 0.3 percent (±1.3%)* above the revised February estimate of $967.1 billion.
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May 06, 2009 |
Facts and Figures |
The U.S. Census Bureau publishes facts and figures about the Residential Construction. Did you know that half of all single-family homes sold had at least one fireplace? Or that the average single-family house completed had 2,521 square feet, 801 more square feet than in 1977...
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May 06, 2009 |
Myths Dispelled |
Found on every continent on Earth, global resources of dimension stone are virtually limitless.
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March 20, 2009 |
Stone+tec Nürnberg 2009 |
When the international natural stone industry meets from 20-23 May 2009, the Exhibition Centre Nuremberg offers a comprehensive range of products from companies from all over the world in the three major exhibition segments of natural stone, technology and gravestones & accessories, plus another broad supporting programme and special theme presentations for added information and inspiration.
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January 27, 2009 |
Spain |
According to the report "Comercio Exterior del sector de la piedra natural en España" (Foreign trade in Spain´s natural stone sector), drawn up by the OMPN (Observatorio de Mercado de la Piedra Natural – Natural Stone Market Observatory), reporting to the AIDICO (Instituto Tecnológico de la Construcción – Construction Technology Institute), and the FDP (Spanish Natural Stone Federation), in 2007 Spanish natural stone exports exceeded € 1 billion for the first time, an achievement made possible by the accelerating internationalisation seen in the sector since the beginning of this century.
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January 06, 2009 |
India |
Representatives of various Indian granite and stone industries demanded a slew of measures from the Union Government to save the trade, which has been badly affected by the economic meltdown in the US and UK.
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December 30, 2008 |
Safety of granite countertops |
The most comprehensive scientific study of health threats from granite countertops did not find a single stone that poses any health risk. Quantities of radon and radiation emitted by stones included in the analysis all fell well below average outdoor background levels that are commonly found in the United States.
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November 26, 2008 |
Exports of marble and granite down in the first six months of 2008 |
In the first six months of 2008 the natural stone industry exported 1 million 610 thousand tons, for a value of 849 million 890 thousand euro, with a -1,7% reduction in quantity and -4,8% reduction in value compared to the same period in 2007. These are the figures published by the Internazionale Marmi e Macchine Carrara, having processed the Istat data available, limiting assessments to the higher value products (marble, granite and travertine, raw materials and finished products) and not products such as chips, powders and slate.
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October 28, 2008 |
MIA offers granite/radon information on a global level |
Continuing its extensive efforts to educate stone users on the truth about granite and radon, the Marble Institute of America (MIA) recently made presentations at the Marmomacc trade fair in Verona, Italy, and StonExpo/Marmomacc Americas in Las Vegas, NV. The audience at Marmomacc included several members of the international trade press - a key factor considering the need for worldwide support for the MIA´s "Truth About Granite Fund." Meanwhile, the large audience at StonExpo included fabricators, distributors and other trade professionals.
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September 19, 2008 |
Stone+tec 2009 in Nürnberg |
Stone+tec, the International Trade Fair Natural Stone and Stoneprocessing Technology, celebrates its 30th anniversary from
20-23 May 2009. The biennial Stone+tec generated positive signals for the industry at the last event in spring 2007 with 963 exhibitors and 41,084 trade visitors .
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September 08, 2008 |
Discussion about Radon |
What do hot coffee and granite kitchen worktops have in common? The answer is easy for Americans: Both are so dangerous that the unsuspecting consumer must be urgently warned about them. Coffee can only burn your fingers, but a granite worktop is all the more treacherous as the danger is invisible and only detectable with highly sensitive instruments. After an article in the New York Times, all home owners now know this and the name of the enemy: radon, a naturally occurring radioactive inert gas that is supposed to escape in hazardous concentrations from granite slabs and is regarded as the main cause of lung cancer after smoking.
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August 06, 2008 |
Granite and Radon Information |
"The Marble Institute of America understands why people are alarmed by the New York Times story, but we want to assure people that studies of the granite most commonly used in U.S. countertops show they are safe. In fact, the highest radon emissions ever reported in scientific studies result in concentrations that are lower than EPA’s guidelines. We recognize that radon and radiation may vary by sample, but we have yet to find any stone that poses any significant health risk. Unfortunately, much of the confusion is being created by inconsistent methodologies used in measuring radon emissions from granite countertops. We are working to help develop testing standards to eliminate the inconsistencies."
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August 05, 2008 |
Learning stone in Carrara |
The final exam for the Specialisation course in the use of stone “Learning stone in Carrara”, this highly specialised course conceived to create professionals able to design with natural stone in buildings for uses which enhance their aesthetic characteristics, was successfully passed by all twelve architects. The course was organised for the third time by the Internazionale Marmi e Macchine in collaboration with the Italian Embassy and the King Saud University of Riyadh.
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August 01, 2008 |
Granite a perfectly safe indoor material |
The Natural Stone Council (NSC) declared its full support for utilizing granite as a perfectly safe indoor material. This new announcement comes to reinforce the results of an independently organized study, funded by the Marble Institute of America (MIA), and recently released statements of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).
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July 30, 2008 |
GaLaBau 2008 |
The 18th GaLaBau exhibition takes place in Nürnberg from 17-20 September, when landscape gardeners, local authorities, planners and architects can source information about new products in the green sector at this four-day event. The International Trade Fair for Urban Green and Open Spaces does credit to its name with 950 exhibitors expected from 25 nations. The products on display range from construction and maintenance machinery and equipment, materials, components and plants to urban design and transport. Also present with separate presentations at GaLaBau are the playground equipment manufacturers in the PLAYGROUND segment and the golf sector with the first “German Golf Course Conference”.
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July 27, 2008 |
Long-term building with natural stone |
The German government intends to cut CO2 emissions in Germany by 40 per cent by 2020 through an energy and climate programme. This puts the focus on natural stone again as a natural building material. “The use of natural stone for building considerably reduces CO2 emissions,” says Reiner Krug, General Manager of the Deutscher Naturwerkstein-Verband DNV.
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July 26, 2008 |
Italian stone technology exports |
According to the official statistics released by the Studies Center of Confindustria Marmomacchine in the first quarter of the year Italy’s stone technology exports brought in 196.8 million euro, up 1.2% from the same period last year.
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July 14, 2008 |
Marmomacc comes to America |
StonExpo, natural stone trade show in the United States, and Marmomacc announced today a new strategic alliance and the rebranding of StonExpo to StonExpo/Marmomacc Americas.
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May 13, 2008 |
Stagnation in Spain’s natural stone sector despite being a world leader |
According to the Natural Stone Sector Report 2006 published by the OMPN (Observatorio del Mercado de la Piedra Natural – Natural Stone Market Monitoring Centre), an institution that in turn reports to AIDICO (Instituto Tecnológico de la Construcción - Construction Technology Institute), Spain’s natural stone sector is starting to show signs of stagnation despite being the world’s biggest producer. The report warns that without major investment in R&D&I to adapt the industry to changes in the business environment it may lose its leading position.
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July 03, 2008 |
Granite is now the surface of choice |
Granite and quartz have survived a rocky stretch a few years back to rise to the top of the heap in kitchen counter materials. The natural surfaces have grown more popular in household projects, being seen as artistic but practical. "Nature just does it right," says AnnaMae Lenkey, who is wrapping up a kitchen makeover with granite countertops in her Fox Chapel home. "I knew that was what I wanted as soon as I started looking at the granite."
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June 30, 2008 |
Green building |
According to recent data, buildings -- and not cars like many might think -- are the largest source of both energy consumption and greenhouse gas emissions in America as well as around the planet. The NSC believes that the use of Genuine Stone may have a positive effect on the overall health of our communities and the world by reducing the current environmental impacts of construction and building. The design of more energy-efficient buildings is a crucial step in addressing the dangers to our environment, and we firmly believe that eco-friendly design and construction will become the norm in the next decade.
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April 28, 2008 |
Life Cycle Analysis |
LCA is the only instrument of environmental management which enables quantification of all environmental impacts associated directly or indirectly to a product, allowing comparison with the performance of other products. The analysis makes it possible to organize and disseminate a database of products and services in the country, including dimension stone activity.
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January 22, 2008 |
Hotel in a chinese quarry |
The innovative design of the 400-bed resort hotel stands two levels higher than the rock face of the 100 metre deep quarry and includes underwater public areas and guestrooms. It will incorporate conference facilities for up to 1,000 people, a banqueting centre, restaurants, cafés and sports facilities. Sustainability is integral to the design ranging from using green roofing for the structures above the ground level to geothermal energy extraction."
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January 19, 2008 |
Countertops: Rock-solid and elegant |
It used to be that granite countertops graced only high-end kitchens. Increasingly though, the coarse-grained rock made mostly of quartz is providing surface support to homes of all income levels.
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December 05, 2007 |
CE: Testing, monitoring and certification |
All amendments and improvements to the European Standards for certain products of natural stone have been obligatory since September 2006. Joachim Deppisch, author of the CE brochure “Natural stone products: The new standards”, explains what companies producing natural stone must know.
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November 11, 2007 |
Glass architecture – lessons of a large-scale experiment |
Many office buildings with visionary fully glazed architecture, which has dominated modern office building for the last 10 years, can barely contribute to the well-being of their users in the hot months of the year. This has been shown by a survey entitled “Glass architecture – Lessons of a large-scale experiment”, which was initiated by the Darmstadt Institute for Living and the Environment and carried out on 24 mostly prestigious office buildings with fully glazed facades.
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July 03, 2008 |
“MARMOTECA ITALIA” resumes its U.S. roadshow |
The 2008 edition of Coverings (Orlando, April 29/May 2) also featured “Marmoteca Italia”, an institutional stand with an objective display (giving just the names of the materials and their regions of provenance) of around 600 samples of authentically natural Italian marbles, granites and stones.
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February 06, 2008 |
Silestone supports Fernando Alonso |
Cosentino the Spanish family-owned manufacturer of Silestone quartz work surfaces announced its sponsorship of the Spanish former Formula 1 world champion racing car driver, Fernando Alonso. Silestone is the only quartz works surface to contain Microban anti-bacterial protection.
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January 19, 2008 |
Countertops in the U.S. |
Demand for residential kitchen and bathroom countertops is forecast to increase 1.3 percent annually to 540 million square feet in 2011. Demand growth will decelerate from the pace of the 2001 to 2006 period, primarily due to weakness in the new single unit home market.
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Stone+tec 2009, Nürnberg, 20.-23.5.2009 |
STEIN The magazine for the natural stone market.
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