BLUESTONE CURATED

One of the most versatile stones available, Bluestone may be found in huge slabs perfect for large scale projects, or it can easily be sawn into smaller sized shapes for intricately patterned installations. Although it’s most commonly found in shades of blue or gray, bluestone is actually available in a rainbow of colors. Our bluestone is the highest quality out there, hand-selected from specialty quarries and fabricators.

WHAT IS BLUESTONE?

Quarried in NY and Pennsylvania, bluestone has become one of the most indispensable stones for architects, designers, and homeowners across the country. Of course, it comes in blue, but you may be surprised to hear bluestone can also be various shades of gray, green, rust, burgundy, brown, gunmetal, and even lilac.

Bluestone is technically a sedimentary sandstone. It’s softer than granite and easier to work and manipulate. This makes it more cost effective to quarry and fabricate. Typically bluestone is split along the bed face to be used as pavers, but if vein cut it can also be used as wallstone or veneer. The term “bluestone” is derived from a deep blue-colored sandstone first found in New York. However, as mentioned above, it also appears in many other hues.

CHARACTERISTICS OF BLUESTONE

Surfaces

When considering bluestone for many applications, especially paving, the two big choices are natural cleft and thermal (also known as flamed).

NATURAL CLEFT

Natural cleft is made by taking the right blocks and splitting them along the stone’s natural seam, which creates a cleft finish. This is a very natural look, but the thicknesses are not exact which makes installation a little more time consuming.

THERMAL (FLAMED)

A thermal finish is created by taking a large solid block and slicing it like a loaf of bread, into a precise thickness slab. A high temperature flame is then applied to the sawn slab which texturizes it, giving a clean, modern, low slip finish.

OTHER COMMON BLUESTONE FINISHES

Tumbled — Used for rustic, generally smaller format products, like cobblestones and pavers.
Honed — Smooth and matted surface, not reflective, versatile and low-slip.
Polished — Used for countertops and interior surfaces.
Rockfaced — Applied to the edges of treads, caps, and steps for a natural finish.

Color

As mentioned above, not all bluestone is blue. We organize our bluestone into five main color groups, and create blends from there. Colors can also vary depending on the surface treatment, as shown below.

MAIN COLOR GROUPS (THERMAL)

MAIN COLOR GROUPS (NATURAL CLEFT)

BLENDS (NATURAL CLEFT)

Full color — A mix of all colors
Clear Colors — Green/gray/blue
Burgundy-Brown

Shapes & Patterns

IRREGULAR SHAPES

Irregular bluestone flagstone is perfect for installation in natural settings or juxtaposed with modern linear design. Sizes range from small, easily manageable stones to super jumbo pieces as shown in the right-hand picture below.

DIMENSIONAL CUT SHAPES

Where tight joints and geometric patterns are specified, bluestone is the perfect solution. Its skid resistant and flat surface profile makes it a prime choice for a sophisticated, modern look with clean lines.

SPLIT OR CHOPPED PAVING

Sitting somewhere between irregular and dimensional cut shapes is our split or chopped paving stone. It can be more or less dimensional in overall design, or a mix of straight split and natural edge. This effect highlights the stone’s natural beauty while at the same time adhering to a structured design. Sizing can be anything you can imagine—such is the flexibility of bluestone!

COBBLESTONES

There is no paving stone more ubiquitous than the humble cobblestone. Elevate your cobblestone installations by specifying custom bluestone. This cobblestone can be produced in custom sizes and color mixes, and surfaces can be sawn flat, natural cleft, tumbled, and/or thermalled. Why settle for standard cobbles when you can design your own? And bluestone’s naturally skid resistant surface makes for perfect pavers.

HOW IS BLUESTONE CURATED?

There are literally hundreds of bluestone quarries and fabricators—but the quality and availability is not created equal. Many bluestone quarries and fabricators can only supply certain colors and are limited to specific products, while others are restrained by the equipment they have on hand to use.

We have spent years developing a relationship with the best in the bluestone business—the guys who know everything there is to know about bluestone. Our team works closely with the best quarries and fabricators of bluestone so our bluestone offerings are the highest quality you can find.

Curated Products & Capabilities

BLOCKS & SLABS: WE INVENTORY THEM

Our first step and one of the critical paths to any successful project is to secure the right raw material. To cut down on the time and costs required to do this, we buy blocks and slabs already cut and ready to be used.

NATURAL CLEFT STEPS, TREADS & CAPSTONES

Natural cleft bluestone is a handmade product, produced by craftsmen much the same way it was done 100 years ago. This process, while time consuming, produces a look that is timeless and not machined. We work closely with the very few quarries and craftsmen who actually take the time to make these products by hand.

SUPER-SIZED PAVERS

It’s no secret that we love stone with scale. Bigger is often better! Make a statement with these hard-to-find pavers.

PRODUCTS SELECTED FOR COLOR

We know that color is often the first and foremost decision to be made when selecting stone. With bluestone there is a wide range of possible colors, and getting it just right is critical.

TUMBLED

Tumbled stone is manufactured by packing many pieces into a barrel filled with an abrasive grit and water. The barrel is then rotated for a period of time. The result is a worn, smooth surface.

CUSTOM FABRICATED TO YOUR SPECS & DRAWINGS

We welcome your unusual, hard to figure out, or maybe just somewhat crazy challenges to be solved with stone. We have the knowledge and experience to bring your ideas to life.