Stone carving terms used in the industry for hand-carved stone fireplaces and stone mantels, stone range hoods and stone architectural elements.
abrasive finish- A flat and nonreflective surface finish for stone mantels, stone range hoods or stone architectural elements.
acid wash- A treatment applied to the face of a stone to achieve a distressed textured finish
adoquin- A volcanic, quartz-based stone with a variety of colored aggregates and pumice.
alabaster- A fine-grained, semi-transparent variety of gypsum, generally white in color. May be cut and carved easily with a knife or saw.
anchor- A metal fastener used for securing stone to a structure. Anchor types
for stonework include those made of flat stock (such as strap, cramps, dovetails, dowel, strap and dowel, and two-way anchors) and round stock (such as rod cramp, rod anchor, eyebolt and dowel, flat-hood wall tie and dowel, dowel and wire toggle bolts).
antique finish- A stone finish that replicates rusticated or distressed textures. It is produced
through mechanical or chemical means to simulate the naturally occurring effects of the aging process.
apron- A trim piece under a projecting stone top, stool, etc.
Arch- The curved or pointed carved stone construction over a doorway or opening. Arch shapes
range from flat to semicircular or semi-elliptical to acutely pointed.
stone architrave- The decorated stone surrounds of a window or door at the head and jamb.
arris- An edge or angle where two surfaces meet including moldings and raised edges.
back-buttering- The process of covering the back of a stone tile with thinset material in order to ensure proper mortar coverage. This prevents hollow areas and subsequent future cracking of tiles. Also helpful to ensure a level installation.
baluster- A short post or vertical member in a series that supports a railing or coping, thus
forming a balustrade. May be curved or straight.
stone balustrade- An entire stone railing system with top rail and balusters, and sometimes including a bottom rail.
bearing check- A slot cut into the back of dimension stone to allow entry of a supporting angle or clip.
bed joint- A horizontal joint between stones, usually filled with mortar, lead, or sealant.
bevel- A sloped surface contiguous with a vertical or horizontal stone surface.
book match pattern- A layout in pairs of all stone elements to confirm that the design matches.
buttering- Placing mortar on stone units with a trowel before setting them into position.
caulking- Closing a stone joint by sealing with an elastic, adhesive compound.
chamfer- To cut away the edge where two stone surfaces meet in an external angle, leaving a bevel at the junction.
chat sawn finish- A rough stone finish produced by sawing with coarse abrasives.
cleavage- The ability of a rock mass to break along natural surfaces; a surface of natural parting.
chiseled edge- A process of mechanically chipping stone tile edges, thus giving the stone a rustic, aged appearance.
column- A vertical stone support, usually consisting of a base, shaft, and capital.
control joint- A joint that allows for dimensional changes of different parts of a structure to prevent development of high stresses in the structure.
cove base- A concave stone molding.
cove molding- A concave stone molding, typically found at the sloped or arched junction of a wall and ceiling.
cubic stone- Stone dimension units more than 2 inches thick.
dimension stone- A stone that has been cut and finished to specifications.
dressing- The shaping and squaring of blocks for stone storage and shipment. Sometimes
called “scabbing.”
dry seam- An unhealed fracture in stone which may be a plane of weakness.
dual finish- Two finishes, such as thermal and polished, on one piece of stone.
eased edge- When referring to a slab stone material, the square edge profile normally has softened edges as opposed to sharp square edges for added safety.
elevation- A drawing of the vertical faces and elements of a stone structure, either interior or exterior.
entasis- The curve resulting from the gradual diminishing of the diameter of the upper two-thirds of a stone column.
epoxy resin- A flexible, resin used as an adhesive.
etched- A decorative surface pattern on stone created by a variety of methods, most often with abrasive chemicals or sandblasting.
exposed face- The visible side of any stone element.
filling- A stone carving expression used to indicate the filling of natural voids in stone units with cements or synthetic resins and similar materials.
finish- The final surface applied to the face of stone during fabrication.
fluting- Shallow, concave, parallel grooves running vertically on the shaft of a stone column, stone pilaster, or other stone surface.
frieze- A decorated stone band along the upper part of an interior wall or the middle member of the entablature, located above the architrave and below the cornice.
gauged or gauging- A grinding process to make all pieces of stone to be used together the same thickness.
guide specification- A recommended specification for the finishing and installation of dimension stone.
hand or machine pitch-faced (rock-faced) ashlar- A rustic finish for veneer stone created by chiseling the stone face, usually with a hammer.
hone finish- A satin-smooth stone surface finish with little or no gloss.
incise- To cut stone inwardly or engrave, as in an inscription.
joint- A space between installed stone units or between a dimension stone and the adjoining material.
kerf- A slot cut into the edge of a stone with a saw blade for insertion of anchors.
keystone- The central stone of an arch, sometimes sculpted or otherwise embellished.
lewis bolt- A bolt with a large, tapered head, fixed into stone or masonry.
limestone- A sedimentary rock composed primarily of calcite or dolomite.
lintel- A horizontal beam or stone over the opening of a door or window that carries the weight of the wall above it.
lippage- A condition where one edge of a stone is higher than adjacent edges, giving the finished surface an uneven appearance.
marble- A metamorphic crystalline rock composed predominantly of crystalline grains
of calcite, dolomite, or serpentine, and capable of taking a polish.
moldings- Decorative stone deviating from a plane surface by projections, curved stone profiles, recesses or any combination thereof.
natural stone- A product of nature. A stone such as granite, marble, limestone, slate, travertine, or sandstone that is formed by nature, and is not artificial or manmade.
off fall- A stone remnant, or extra piece, from a partially cut stone slab. Off falls are often used for
stone samples or additional projects.
ogee- A stone molding with a reverse curved edge: concave above, convex below.
pedestal- In classical architecture, the support for a stone column or statue, consisting of a
base, dado, and cap.
pilaster- A shallow, engaged stone pier or stone column projecting from a wall, typically decorative.
pitched stone- A rough stone face or edge, cut with a pitching chisel.
polished finish- A glossy stone surface finish that brings out the full color and character of the stone.
quarry- The location of an operation where a deposit of stone is extracted from the earth through an open pit or underground mine.
quirk-miter joint- An external corner formed by two stone panels at an angle, with meeting edges mitered and with exposed portions finished.
rake- An angular cut on the face of a stone.
reprise- The inside corner of a stone member with a profile other than a flat plane.
rough sawn- A surface finish resulting from the gang sawing process.
sandblasted- A matte-textured stone surface finish with no gloss, finished by application of a steady flow of sand and water under pressure.
sawed edge- A clean-cut stone edge generally achieved by cutting with a diamond blade, gang saw, or wire saw.
setter- An experienced journeyman who installs dimension stone.
setting space- The distance from the finished face of a stone mantel, stone fireplace or stone structure to the face of the backup material.
shop drawing- A detailed fabrication and installation drawing showing dimensions and methods of anchorage.
soundness- A property of stone used to describe relative freedom from cracks, faults, voids, and similar imperfections found in untreated stone. One of the characteristics encountered in stone fabrication.
thermal finish- A stone surface treatment applied by intense heat flaming.
tolerance- The dimensional allowance in the fabrication process.
undercut- Stone cut so as to present an overhanging part.
vein cut- A cut into quarried stone perpendicular to the natural bedding plane.
wire sawing- A method of cutting stone by passing a twisted, multistrand wire over the stone.