11 Types of limestone and sandstone

Both limestone and sandstone are sedimentary rocks resulting from physical and chemical processes that have taken place during millions of years. These are two types of natural stone that do not follow any established pattern, but are rather “designed” by nature itself.

This is why their aspect will depend upon the area where they were quarried from, providing them with very specific nuances.

All types of limestone and sandstone feature soft tones, so the only differences between them is the colour and amount of fossils that they comprise. Based upon these differences, we can find the following types of limestone and sandstone.

White limestone

One of the main features of white limestone is that they provide further luminosity to any environment, as well as their capacity to create a sense of amplitude.

Among the best examples of white limestone are:

Capri
Marbella
Luna
Alba

Capri limestone

Capri limestone is a natural stone with a white, uniform background dotted with beige colour spots throughout.

Thanks to its resistance to adverse weather conditions, Capri limestone is considered as an exceptional material for façades, staircases and both outdoor and indoor flooring.

Marbella limestone

Since Marbella limestone is extracted from the same quarries as Capri limestone, they both have a very similar look. However, Marbella limestone is much more unique than the more homogeneous Capri limestone

Luna limestone

Also obtained from the same locations as the previous two, Luna limestone is characterised for being less uniform. In fact, the dark colour fossils and dots are a lot more striking in this type of stone, thus providing it with additional character.

Alba limestone

Alba limestone is mainly characterised by a strong presence of marine fossils, that provide it with an indisputable natural beauty.

When combined with the antislip effect of the aged, sandblasted finish that it is most acclaimed for, it becomes the ideal limestone for outdoor flooring, swimming pool edging or even natural pools.

Alba limestone is also known as Shell Reef.

Beige limestone

Thanks to its warm shades, beige limestone allows you to create calm environments, a very sought after effect for bedrooms and living rooms. In this case, we can highlight two types of limestone beige:

Beida limestone cream
Moka limestone cream

Beida limestone cream

Due to its ripples, Beida limestone cream has an aspect that resembles motion. A singular feature that provides originality, making it a greatly appreciated option for both architects and interior designers.

Beida Cream is also referred to as Europa Cream. It has a wide range of applications, as well as being highly recommended for staircases, in addition to flooring and indoor/ outdoor panelling.

Moka limestone cream

Moka limestone cream features different beige colour tones with a rose touch. Another distinct feature of this limestone is that you may find different types of aligned shades in a single slab, due to the presence of bioclasts. Therefore, this type of material has a uniform aspect.

Thanks to its porosity, Moka Cream becomes ideal for outdoor flooring in both its sawn or honed finishes.

Blue limestone

Among blue colour limestones, the Saint Tropez variety, also known as Bateig Azul, is perhaps the most appreciated.

Saint Tropez limestone

A natural stone formed by the decomposition of larger rocks due to erosion that does not contain any fossils. This limestone features a rather homogeneous look, although it can sometimes have some darker shades.

A striking fact is how easy it is so to work with and, for this reason, it is widely used in sculptures, balustrades and decorative pieces.

Its greyish colour provides further notoriety and elegance to any façade or flooring featuring Saint Tropez limestone.

Yellow sandstone

Niwala Yellow

A singular aspect regarding the Niwala Yellow sandstone is due to its yellowish colour, as well as the presence of marine fossils. This is a thick grained sandstone with great resistance to frost as well as porosity among its main features. Therefore, it is ideal when applied on facades and outdoor floorings.

Another feature of the Niwala Yellow sandstone are the prominent streaks that result from cross or vein cutting.

Yellow Fossil

Although featuring a softer tone than Niwala Yellow, Yellow Fossil has exactly the same applications as the former. Therefore, they are both suitable for indoor and outdoor façades.

In regards to finishes, it is available as saw cut, honed or aged.

Yellow Fossil is also known as Golden Shell.

Beige sandstone

Niwala Cream

Thanks to its lighter colour, Niwala Cream is perfect to provide further luminosity to smaller spaces. Niwala Cream is very commonly used in current architecture projects, as it is highly appreciated by both architects and interior designers when creating façades and outdoor flooring.

Rose sandstone

Rosa sandstone comprises very fine grains of quartz, which provide it with high resistance. Its colour is due to the presence of iron oxide on the stone itself.

Like the rest of sandstones, its is recommended for indoor and outdoor facades.

One of the most remarkable examples of the use of this rose sandstone is the city of Petra, which features a sculpted façade made from this material.