StonePly: Stone Glossary

M

Marble

A metamorphic limestone composed predominantly of crystalline grains of calcite, dolomite, or serpentine, and capable of taking a high polish. Commercial and scientific definitions of the marble group are explained in detail in ASTM C119.

Metamorphic rock
Rock altered in appearance, density, crystalline structure, and in some cases, mineral composition, by high temperature or intense pressure, or both. Includes slate derived from shale; quartzite from quartz sandstone; and true marble from limestone.
MIA (Marble Institute of America)
An international trade association whose membership is composed of producers, fabricators, contractors, exporters, importers, distributors, sales agents, and those who supply products and services to the dimension stone industry and building owners.
Miter
The junction of two stone units with a 45° angle cut.
Mockup
Sample wall section of stone panels.
Moldings
Decorative or adorned stone deviating from a plane surface by projections, curved profiles, recesses or any combination thereof.
Mosaic
A veneering which is generally irregular with undefined pattern. Nearly all the stone used in a mosaic pattern is irregular in shape.
Mullion
A vertical member, as of stone or wood, that divides a window or other opening into two or more panes. Sometimes, it is only an ornamental overlay.

N

Natural stone
A product of nature. A stone such as granite, marble, limestone, slate, travertine, or sandstone that is formed by nature, and is not artificial or imitation.
Niche
An inner area or part in an interior or exterior wall usually for a statue or an urn, and typically semicircular in design.
Notch
A V-shaped indentation made on the edge or head of a stone.

O

Ogee
A stone molding with a double curve: concave above, convex below.
Onyx

A translucent, generally layered, variety of quartz or crystalline form of calcium carbonate. Onyx has colors in pastel shades, particularly yellow, tan, and green. Commercial definitions of onyx are given in ASTM C119 as part of the marble group.

StonePly translucent onyx panels are onyx bonded to glass, polycarbonate or acrylic with a special process of heat and pressure.

Oolitic limestone
A calcite-cemented calcareous stone formed of shells and shell fragments, practically noncrystalline in character that have calcium coatings. . It is found in massive deposits located almost entirely in Lawrence, Monroe, and Owen Counties, Indiana; and in Alabama, Kansas, and Texas. This limestone is characteristically a freestone, without cleavage planes, possessing a remarkable uniformity of composition, texture, and structure. It possesses a high internal elasticity, adapting itself without damage to extreme temperature changes. http://stoneply.com/stones/indiana