red travertine limestone

Very beautiful and characterful limestone that can be worked by hand and with a machine. It is challenging to carve as the stone varies greatly in hardness and has numerous small and large pores (holes). We therefore recommend the stone primarily for free forms and less for figurative representations.

TECHNICAL DETAILS

PROCESSING

Travertine can be worked very well by hand with forged steel tools, such as point chisels and flat irons, in addition to using a machine. Due to its structure, travertine is not easy to work. The stone can be honed and polished very well.

Travertine can be placed outdoors, but is susceptible to algae infestation. The stone is largely frost-resistant. A high-gloss polish will become matt over time if placed outdoors, as travertine, like all limestone, is not acid-resistant.

FURTHER INFORMATION

Travertines are sedimentary rocks that were formed in fresh water at springs, in lakes and rivers. Compared to other limestones, travertine is a very young rock; it was formed in the Pleistocene and is therefore 'only' around 1.7 million years old. The numerous pores, which are characteristic of travertine, could be formed by leached clay and sandstone inclusions or by inclusions of gases.

Red travertine limestone consists of around 94% calcite, other components are iron oxide (haematite, which gives it its colour), silicon dioxide, sodium oxide and aluminium oxide.

Persian travertine is quarried in the north-west of Iran in the province of East Azerbaijan.

Stone is a natural product. We endeavour to reproduce the appearance of our sculpture stones as accurately as possible in the illustrations so that the character of the stone can be recognised. Ultimately, each stone is unique and the appearance may differ from the picture.