The fact is, natural stone, with all of its inherent qualities. represents one of the great values in new construction and remodeling arenas. In most cases, marble and granite are less expensive than other premium materials.

You can't go wrong selecting natural stone. Natural stone adds value to a home when it's time to sell! According to Remodeling Magazine's 2004 Cost vs. Value Report, natural stone recovered between 80 to 86 percent of its remodeling cost at the time of resale.

In a word, time. It takes millions, if not billions of years for Mother Nature to create natural stone. There are many factors that affect the ultimate graining and coloration of natural stone. They include underground springs, mineral deposits, earth shift, temperature, natural solutions in the earth, and the pressure exerted on these elements over time.

There is no way to duplicate the factors in a laboratory or manufacturing environment. Because of the vast differences in the conditions that created the stone. every block extracted from the earth is different.

The hand of man has played no role in the process. Even after the stone has been removed from the quarry there is little human intervention, except for cutting and polishing (which brings out all the uniqueness and natural beauty; nothing is done to alter the natural state of the stone.

That's why the number of different colors and patterns of natural stone is limitless.

True, some common types of stone have a similar ''look'' however. but no two pieces are exactly alike-your selection is unique. unlike anything else in the world!