Stone

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Masonry is classified according to finish, rubble being of rough-quarried or field stone and ashlar of dressed stone. It may be laid without mortar (and is then called dry, or Cyclopean) or with mortar to bind the stones closely together, the outside finish of such joints being called pointing. Stonem as onry may be of hard materials, such as granite, bluestone, or marble, requiring full finish before laying, or of softer varieties, such as brownstone, laid with rough exterior, the decoration being carved afterward. The pyramids and the sphinxEgypt are among the world’s greatest masterpieces of stonework.

Now a days Master Stone bricklayers are a rare commodity, considering the stone is not generally cut that precise for fit anymore, the “now” generation of Stone Masons must have a general understanding of old world construction & new world techniques. He not only has to be a stone cutter, he has to have an innate ability to create the aesthetic appeal that is desired by the customer creating stone fireplaces, chimneys and facades on houses / buildings / structures. He has to be able to take a raw pile of rocks, cut & shape them and set them in a “customer – determined” pattern in a disciplined manner that is indistinguishable from the other stone masons installing adjacent to them.