HISTORY OF ARTIFICIAL STONE

One of the earliest was Coade stone (originally called Lithodipyra), a

ceramic created by Eleanor Coade (17331821), and produced from 1769 to
1833. Later, in 1844, Frederick Ransome created a Patent Siliceous Stone,
which comprised sand and powdered flint in an alkaline solution.[1] By heat-
ing it in an enclosed high temperature steam boiler the siliceous particles were
bound together and could be moulded or worked into filtering slabs, vases,
tombstones, decorative architectural work, emery wheels and grindstones.
This was followed by Victoria stone, which comprises three parts finely-
crushed Mountsorrel (Leicestershire) granite to one of Portland cement, me-
chanically mixed and cast in moulds. When set the moulds are loosened and
the blocks placed in a solution of silicate of soda for about two weeks to
indurate and harden them.[2] Many manufacturers turned out a very non-
porous product able to resist corrosive sea air and industrial and residential
air pollution.[3]
Most later types of artificial stone have consisted of fine cement concrete
placed to set in wooden or iron moulds.[3] It could be made more cheaply
and more uniform than natural stone, and was widely used. In engineer-
ing projects, it had the advantage that transporting the bulk materials and
casting them near the place of use was cheaper than transporting very large
pieces of stone.
Modern cast stone is an architectural concrete building unit manufac-
tured to simulate natural cut stone, used in unit masonry applications. Cast
stone is a masonry product, used as an architectural feature, trim, orna-
ment or facing for buildings or other structures. Cast stone can be made
from white and/or grey cements, manufactured or natural sands, carefully
selected crushed stone or well graded natural gravels and mineral coloring
pigments to achieve the desired colour and appearance while maintaining
durable physical properties which exceed most natural cut building stones.
Cast stone is an excellent replacement for natural cut limestone, brownstone,
sandstone, bluestone, granite, slate, coral rock, travertine and other natural
building stones.