The Western Wall of the Old City of Jerusalem has been the object of close scrutiny by scientists of the Hebrew University to examine the effect of erosion on the wall’s limestone. Material with small crystals, studies found, was much more prone to weather induced erosion by which micro-particles are washed out of the stone. Stone with larger crystals kept their integrity longer. The news is to be published in the trade magazine Geology forthwith was already the subject of headlines in the press implying that the ancient stonemasons purposely supplied stone of inferior quality to Herod the Great.
Specialized gangs have recently been stealing natural stone slabs in the Brazilian State of Espírito Santo (Portuguese).
„A zerobact“ is the name of a product line, by Italian-based Antolini Company recently launched in the USA. The product is a method of anti-bacterial surface-treatment. Products with similar properties have already been marketed by producers of engineered stone and ceramics.
Artist Craig David from Minnesota is looking for stone from the beaches of Lake Superior and the hills of St Louis County to include them in a mural mosaic.
A slide in form of a mosquito can be viewed on the website of stone mason Hubert Benz.
Italy’s Vale del Chiampo by Verona, will be hosting a local natural stone festival from September 12th to October 12th 2014. It’s all about young artists, which is why the festival stands under the motto „Talent on the Rocks“ (Italian).
Video of the month. Some like it steep: Dare-devil mountain climbing tours on Mexico’s Sendero Luminoso and China’s Shanghai-Tower (1, 2).
(02.09.2014, USA: 09.02.2014)
