1)      Variety: The diversity of natural stone products encourages limitless design potential; aesthetically, what you do with stone is as varied as your imagination. Because it is formed from within the earth, it is something that cannot be duplicated in a laboratory or come from a mold.
2)      Durability: Natural stone exhibits a durability not found in other building materials. There is an emotional connection to buildings and monuments built in stone that carry a great deal of meaning due to enduring history and legacy of mankind through the ages.
3)      Green Attributes: Natural stone products like those created in granite, marble, limestone, slate and sandstone, possess innate characteristics that contribute toward LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) intended construction. Characteristics include availability as a naturally occurring material, no off-gases to impair indoor air quality, high thermal capacitance, and exceptional durability for low maintenance and structural permanence.
4)      Unique: Design projects should stand out and reflect passion, taste, and personality of the designer and client.  Natural stone is a one-of-a-kind building material that sets a design apart because it cannot be mimicked, manufactured, or faked.
5)      Value: The value in natural stone is more than a monetary measure. It involves longevity, ease of maintenance, permanence, and stability that far exceed initial investment.  Due to advancing technology, new automated machinery allows fabricators to cut natural stone thinner, faster, more consistently, and at a lower cost than in times past.
Visit www.usenaturalstone.com for more information about the benefits of natural stone, from MIA+BSI: The Natural Stone Institute.