(February 2013) Not only the rich in Brazil love natural stone. Also for the middle class a granite countertop in the kitchen is a must. And more than this, people like to show their wealth by using stone tiles in the bathroom and outside around the pool or at the place for barbecue.

Yet, the question is what types stone the natives like in that country with a population of 194 million people and with an economical growth of annually between 2 and 4 % in the last years?

Do Brazilians themselves choose their „exotic” granites with strong colours and lively structures which are such a big success e.g. in the US? Or do they prefer more „quite” materials sometimes even imported from other parts of the globe?

And: how about the use of artificial (engineered) stone?

Marcelo Oliveira da Silva, Brazilian correspondent of Stone-Ideas.com, will give answers to these questions at the 5th World Stone Congress held during the Xiamen Stone Fair. A lot of photos of designers’ ideas for the use of stone in kitchens and bathrooms will be shown in his lecture.

More than this, he will also inform about the latest data of the country’s economic development and of its stone industry.

5th World Stone Congress (WSC), March 7, 2013, 10:00-12:00 am, Xiamen Stone Fair, International Conference Hall

Translation: pebe