Sandstone - All About This Beautiful Stone

Author: Balbir S. Tripathi

A clastic sedimentary rock, Sandstone consists of sand size grains or rock grains. Sandstone is mainly composed of quartz and feldspar as they are the most common minerals found in the earth’s crust. Volumetrically, sandstone constitutes around 10 to 20 percent of the earth’s sedimentary rock record. It is resistant to erosion and forms the backbone of mountain ranges. It is economically important as a major reservoir for petroleum and water, as a building material and as a valuable source of metallic ores. Discussed below is more on sandstone, its components and color variety:

Formation of sandstone

Sandstone is clastic in origin and is formed from cemented grains which are either fragments of a pre existing rock or mono minerallic crystals.

Components and color of sandstone

The three basic components of sandstone are:

  • Detrital grains: They are sand size minerals such as quartz and feldspar.
  • Detrital matrix: They are made of clay or mud which are absent in clean sandstones
  • Cement: This cement is chemically precipitated in crystalline form from a solution and it serves to fill up original pore spaces.

    • The color of sandstone depends on its detrital grains and bonding material. Listed below are some most popular color varieties of sandstone:

    • Dark brown

      When iron oxide is present in a huge proportion, the stone has a deep brown color. This color stone is ideal for outdoor paving as it has the ability to absorb stains.

    • Grey

      It is one of the most popularly used sandstone colors and is ideal for almost all the places. The grey color is available in different tones such as dark grey, light grey and grey with bluish tone. Grey is mostly used because of the neutral color it gives to its surroundings.

    • Beige and white

      Beige and white color sandstone is the next popular category of sandstone. These two colors are known to enhance the look of the area wherever they are placed.

    • Yellow

      The composition of yellow sandstone makes it ideal for pavement applications in coastal and seaside areas. Yellow sandstone is most appropriate for these areas as it is resistant to erosion and the damage caused by saline water.

    Sandstone products are widely known for their durability and strength. Some popular sandstone products include Sandstone Block Steps, Sandstone Pavings, Sandstone Kerbs, Sandstone Walling, Sandstone Circles and Sandstone Cobbles. These products should be sourced from reputed Sandstone Exporters in India.