Marble, onyx, granite: all about stone from China

What it's made of, where the raw materials come from, what the most spectacular slabs look like and how much it can cost.

When designers proclaim season after season that black marble, white marble, or pink marble is in fashion, everyone realizes they're being a bit deceitful. Marble is always relevant, no matter what whatever there it was not a shade, as well as any decoration with natural or high-quality decorative stone. And the first to realize this were the Chinese, whose skill in working with stone has been perfected over thousands of years.

Why is it that the Chinese are the first to realize this?

Why should you go to China for stone?

This country is the world leader in stone supply. Almost all enterprises are concentrated in the north of Guangdong province. They are large production facilities operating at huge capacity, which do the full cycle of work - from mining to processing.

Low financial costs of mining, high turnover and strict government regulations that do not allow mine owners to overcharge for raw materials are the main reasons why the prices of stone and stone products in China are several times lower than in Europe and the CIS.

These are the main reasons why the prices of stone and stone products in China are several times lower than in Europe and the CIS.

China's prices for stone and stone products in China are much lower than in Europe and the CIS.

The raw materials are not only local: Chinese enterprises buy them from other countries, such as Australia and America, and they are processed and sawn in China. Therefore, such a choice of breeds, textures and shades (there are hundreds of varieties of marble alone) can hardly be found anywhere else.

Which stone can be purchased on the tour?"

In blocks and slabs. You can buy solid blocks of granite, marble, sandstone, slate, travertine and other stone in China and process them already in your own country. Or choose a block and here cut it into slabs - large stone slabs 20-30 mm thick, and then use them to finish interior walls or facades, stairs, countertops and other surfaces. Marble and travertine are soft minerals, so their slabs are additionally treated for strength and scratch resistance.

Buying slabs of marble and travertine is an important part of the process.

Buying stone slabs in China, the client saves a lot on cutting costs alone: up to ten times the price of the same service in Russia!

Our customers often use onyx slabs for bar tops, partitions or wall panels. Onyx has contrasting, distinctive cuts and it transmits light well, so it can be lit from the inside out - just the thing for design experiments.

Finished sculptures, bas-reliefs, fireplaces and fountains. And also monuments, columns and balusters, accessories and decor. In addition, in local factories, all of this can be made to order - you only need a sketch from client. Do not worry that the sculpture or fountain will take up half a container and for delivery will have to pay a fortune. Usually, such bulky items are made collapsible, and carefully pack each piece individually.

Which is why it's so important to have a large sculpture or fountain in the container.

Baths and washbasins. Stone baths are not only unrealistically beautiful - they are also pleasant to touch and very quiet, and water in them does not cool down for a long time. Cast marble or composite -an artificial material with natural stone chips added? Both options look cool.

They both look cool.

Stoneware, tiles or mosaics. Along with ordinary stoneware imitating the pattern of limestone, marble, travertine and onyx, in Chinese shopping centers you can come across stoneware where natural stone is used as the top decorative layer. The most spectacular solutions are large-format. Here are the ones found in catalogs of Chinese factories.

They are the ones we found in the catalogs of Chinese factories.

Where is shopping taking place?"

There are separate shopping centers in Foshan where you can buy slabs, tiles, sculptures and other products.

About quality

Like other products, Chinese manufacturers have strict requirements for products and blanks, because a large proportion of the goods are exported to Europe, America, Australia. For example, if it is necessary to make several products at once and it is important that they do not differ in tone -they can be two sculptures that will stand next to each other-the raw materials for them will be taken from one block or several as similar as possible.

We also take into account the continuity of the business: many Chinese specialists have been working with stone for more than one generation, they know the nuances of the profession well, which also affects the high quality of the products.

A lot of Chinese specialists have been working with stone for more than one generation.

There are also unscrupulous companies as everywhere. But our managers are always on the alert, and will warn the client against dealing with a manufacturer with an unreliable reputation

About shipping

Before loading the stone or stone product, our specialists check the strength of the factory packaging and, if necessary, reinforce it with a batten. They then stack them in a container safe way to ensure that every product, slab and tile reaches the customer safely.

And then, the stone or stone product is placed in the container safe.