With an exterior featuring honed Anamosa limestone from Iowa, an upscale condominium in the historic Old Town district of Pasadena, CA, maintains a distinctive look among its neighbors.

Comprised of brilliant hues that reflect the colors of a rainbow, the new West Beach Promenade in Benidorm, Spain, has assisted in revitalizing tourism in the area azed, it wouldn’t have such color.”

Built with indigenous travertine, the Museo dell’Ara Pacis in Rome, Italy, was recently honored with a Marble Architectural Award for its outstanding use of natural stone.

Over the past few months, my travels to international trade shows have given me the opportunity to sit down with some of the world’s major stone producers to gauge the current market conditions. Not surprisingly, many of these suppliers are based in Brazil. And for the first time in awhile, their mood is upbeat.

Nestled in the North Georgia mountains since 1886, Young Harris College has experienced some significant changes in recent months. While the school has been a two-year college since its beginning, it is now in the process of evolving into a four-year institution. With this transformation has come a surge in student attendance - causing a need for more space. As a result, Enotah Hall, a new 200-bed residence dormitory, opened in time for the fall 2009 semester. The new building, which was designed by the Atlanta, GA, office of Lord, Aeck & Sargent not only complemented the campus’s existing architecture, but it has received LEED silver certification from the U.S. Green Building Council. And the use of Tennessee flagstone in a thin stone veneer format for architectural and landscape elements contributed to the overall character of the exterior design.

Able to naturally complement the stone color of an historic building in Salt Lake City, UT, Valders Buff limestone from Valders Stone & Marble, Inc. in Valders, WI, was also fabricated to match different finishes throughout the exterior of a restoration project that would become O.C. Tanner Flagship Jewelry Store. Additionally, the company's Valders Dove White dolomtic limestone was used for the interior redesign.

This Stone of the Month supplied by Dimpomar Rochas Portuguesas, Lda., Vila Viçosa, Portugal. Technical details provide a frame of reference only. 

As an alternative to V-grooving systems or a bridge saw with a 45-degree inclined blade, Marmo Meccanica has recently tested a new system called “V/O” cutting, with the latest version of its LCV famous edge polisher type.

Each May, Stone World publishes the year-end summary of all stone imports into the U.S., which are recorded by the U.S. Department of Commerce. For comparative purposes, we also publish the year-end statistics from a year before. 

Now in its 28th year, Cevisama - the annual International Ceramic Tile and Bathroom Furnishings Show - was held this year from February 9 to 12 at the Feria Valencia exhibition center in Valencia, Spain.  And as in past years, the show provided a platform for more than 600 tile manufacturers to display their most recent and innovative products to visitors that hailed from around the world.