How is Limestone Formed?
Years before fireplaces were invented, many millions of years before, in fact, nature was busy at work creating what would ultimately become limestone. Limestone is created in two ways: with the help of living organisms and by evaporation.
Organisms that live in the sea, such as oysters, mussels, and coral, use calcium carbonate, which is found in seawater, to make their shells and bones. When these creatures die, their shells and bones are broken down by waves and settle on the floor of the ocean. They remain there and are compacted over many millions of years. The pressure of the ocean water and the collection of the shells and bones is what creates limestone.
Limestone is also formed when water, which contains particles of calcium carbonate, evaporates, and they leave behind the sediment deposit. It’s the water pressure that compacts the sediment, thus creating limestone.
Portuguese Limestone:
At Charlton & Jenrick, we only use the finest limestone sourced from Portugal. Every limestone fireplace has its own natural beauty and distinctive look. The veins, markings, and colour shade will constantly vary and never be the same as the surroundings you have seen in a showroom. During production, each piece of limestone is carefully matched to create a totally unique product. These imperfections are what make natural stone different from mass-produced surrounds.
Portugal has a global reputation for refining high-quality Limestone using highly specialised extraction methods. Typically, Limestone is a light cream-coloured material, which, as mentioned before, is a result of millions of years of sediment and pressure. Portuguese limestone is often cut along the grain, which is the reason why you will see distinctive stripes in a fireplace.
Three of the most common types of Portuguese limestones are:
Moca Crema Limestone:
This type of limestone can be classified into three types: fine, medium and thick. The cut of this limestone is through the grain or vein, which is a distinctive characteristic of this type of stone. Moca Crema is less dense than other limestones, which makes it ideal for use in interior applications.
Moleanos Limestone:
Often very light cream in colour, with small shell fossils, which give it characteristic dots with dark brown tones. This type of limestone is very dense compared to Moca Crema, and is more suited to more heavy weight applications, such as pavement slabs.
Crema Fatima Limestone:
Crema Fatima is a micro-crystalline limestone. It has a clear beige, and generally speaking, it tends to be uniform in its look; sometimes, there are brown coloured dots. This comes in fine and coarse grain.
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Charlton & Jenrick Limestone Fireplaces:
We have designed a wide range of limestone fireplaces, designed to appeal to a wide range of designs, tastes and budgets. Each limestone fireplace has been individually named:
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Aylesbury – An elegant and modern design
Balmoral – A classic design, distinctive and graceful
Beckford – A classic design similar to the Balmoral
Berrington – A modern take on some of the most popular fireplaces over the last decade
Stokesay – Similar to the Mafra with a larger opening
