WHAT YOU SHOULD KNOW ABOUT STONE MOSAIC

OK, stick with me on this possible scenario - a hundred thousand years ago some post-Neanderthals were having a barbecue of mammoth. Igtook and Gnrok, the kids, were sitting around the campfire, bored with all the grown-up grunts of where to place the next set of traps, the best way avoid the saber-tooth tigers, and the best type of camouflage to use on their hunts, etc. Igtook started picking up pinecones, acorns etc. and, and just out of the blue, started arranging them into patterns, ones that Gnrok liked. Other family members would look at these and say GRUUNH! So, this became the first hobby ever! Later, they graduated to using stones and found that smooth, rounded, river stones made a perfect materials to use and if you went over the riverbank long enough, you could find a lot of stones that were about the same size and shape (this was good because at that time, they did not have tools that they could use to cut the stones). Perfect. And, in certain areas, even stones of different colors could be found. Now we advance for several tens of thousands of years. Someone who was using ground limestone to make some kind of paint, accidentally dropped some of it into a pile of ground up clay - and, oh, yeah, it was a rainy day. A sort of a paste was formed. Of course they left it on the ground because we all know that these folks were not particualrly concerend with cleaning up. But then, the next morning, they found that after it dried and they tried to clean it off their spear point, it stuck to the stone. Ah-ha, cement, at least its precursor, was born. Then 2- 3,000 later, people started breaking the stones into smaller pieces and found that by placing them correctly, they could come up with really pleasant designs, held in place by the cement. What an artistic advancement this was over tracing the outline of your hand on a cave wall!. This product was called a mosaic (because, well, this is actually what mosic means) and soon mosaics became all the rage. Mosiacs were used everywhere - on walls in , floors, ceilings of many areas such as temples and later churches, hospitals, drive-through pizza parlors, and today, if we visit Pompeii, we will see mosaics on floors of a lot of the buildings. Actually, this is the way it really could have happened.

TRADITIONAL STONE MOSAICS

So, stone mosaics have a history. They surely predate the pre-Christian era because the ancient Greeks, Phoenician, early Romans, etc. made them. Stone was probably one of the first mosaic materials. So now, instead of smalti, sometimes we use marmi ( pieces the same size as smalti but made of many species of marble well as granties, travertines, onyxes, slates and many other types of stones including many of the semi precious (and more richly colored) species like lapis, malachite, etc. Most all marmi are muted in color, but all the color is natural, and permanent. Other than the materials used, the fabrication and installation of stone mosacs very closely resembles that of glass mosaics. When cut, smalti leave a generally smooth, viterous surface, but raw stone has a more granular (fine grains mind you) surface, hence another reason they appear “softer”. It is stone, and very durable, but it is more porous so it can more easily be stained than glass mosaic. This needs to be considered if the mosic will be in a high traffic area, or installed somewhere on an exterior surface.

CONTEMPORARY STONE MOSAICS

Our studio designs and fabricates these. We generally use the same materials as the early mosaicisti. (except of course, lapis, which comes mainly from Afghanistan). Our differences exist in some of the fabrication techniques.We saw cut slabs of stone (again marbles, granites, etc.) into squarish or rectangular shapes with a diamond saw. We fabricate most stone mosaics using the direct method which, when finshed, provides a very 3-dimensionl, tactile surface, which sometimes, with the proper lighting, can create very interesting shadow details that actually can become another artistic element. We really like doing stone mosaics. Because there is no official term (that I know of) for this mosaic technique, I call it the German style since I learned it from my mentor, Ludwig Schaffrath. Stone mosaic are not perfect for all locations, but for some locations, nothing else could be more perfect.

CHARACTERISTICS OF STONE MOSAICS:

  • Often designed on at least two levels consisting: a. the overall graphic forms which when viewed from a distance tends to draw the viewers closer so they can discover; b. many of the interesting details of coloration, texture, inclusions, etc.

  • Generally, are composed of either split-faced or polished species of marble, granite, onyx, travertine, slate, limestone and many of the other types of stone.

  • Colors of natural stones are generally much more subtle than glass.

  • Usually display more surface character and relief than glass mosaics.

  • Because the materials are natural, the color ranges, veining, mottling, etc. within a piece of stone vary greatly - this can be a good thing!

  • Depending on the final design, actual fossils are sometimes incorporated.

  • Additional materials such as semiprecious stones (turquoise, malachite, etc.) can be used for their more intense coloration.

  • Often, gold, silver, copper and other metals are incorporated as detail for added color, reflectivity and contrast.Note: gold smalti make a mosaic more costly because, well gold is used, however, such a micro, micro weight of gold is present in each smalto, that is not the main reason it is costly - making gold smalti is very tricky and takes many more manipulations than regular glass smalti But NOTHING is much more beautiful and has the ability to create the feeling that gold smalti can.

  • Often mounted with similar adhesives as glass mosaics, but every installation is different.

  • Requires a very solid substrate because of their weight and better resistance to movement..

  • The marmi usually have a wider range in size than those for glass mosaic.

  • In certain applications, they might be appropriate for both exterior applications but are better suited for interiors.

  • No grout is used on our stone mosaics - because of this, the tesserae are cut to fit very precisely - grout would destroy much of the surface texture of the stone.

  • Generally a finished stone mosaic will weigh 7 - 12 lbs. / sq. ft. Attention must be given to the structural integrity of the surface on which it is installed.

  • JPS mosaics are usually executed in the direct style on plywood, cement board, or even aluminum sheets and installed as one piece,

  • Or, they can be assembled on paper, special netting, etc, then installed in many small sections, just as glass mosaics.

  • With both glass and stone mosaics, as they are being installed, the sections are fitted together so tightly that the joints between the sections just disappear so the final piece does not look "sectioned".

  • Most all of our stone mosaic work is executed in our studio.

  • Stome mosaics are an excellent opportunity to incorporate some of the existing building materials or stone from the surronding community.

  • With proper surface lighting, the texture, color and relief of the stone becomes very tactile. We love it when people have to touch our mosaics in order to “see” them.

  • Usually, maintenance consists of an occasional washing, depending on how many people touch it. (again, please, no pressure washer)

SOMETHING ABOUT PRICE

     Stone mosaics are comparable in price to glass mosaics. Usually the design for this type of work is non-figurative. If we do a figure they are usually highly stylize and maybe not so representational. The basic decisions one needs to make when comparing and selecting either of these two beautiful art forms should be based on design and setting, not on cost. You will be disappointed if you set a budget and try to find a mosaic that will meet it. Rather, get some idea of costs of these items, then set your budget. (just a suggestion!)