Journal

Notes on stone

Process, heritage and the craft of finishes, from the Jodad workshop.

Squared Egyptian limestone blocks and slab bundles standing in the Jodad plant, ready to be sawn

25 July 2026

Block, slab or cut to size: how to order Egyptian stone

The same stone reaches you three ways. The format decides who carries the yield risk, who owns the offcuts, and what is still open when the crate closes.

An Egyptian stone quarry at first light, benches cut in steps down the hillside

19 July 2026

How Egyptian marble is made: from mountain to masterpiece

One block, nine stages. How Egyptian marble and granite travel from the quarry bench through saw, polish and dry-lay inspection to a crate on a truck.

An Egyptian limestone courtyard floor in hard sunlight, its joints throwing shadow

15 July 2026

Stone in the Egyptian sun: choosing an exterior surface

Outside, a surface is judged by heat, glare, grip and dust long before anyone looks at its colour. Choose the finish first.

Egyptian limestone samples in different finishes laid out on a workbench

7 July 2026

Marble and granite finishes: one stone, many faces

Polished, honed, brushed, sandblasted, bush hammered, tumbled, flamed, chiseled: what each finish does to an Egyptian stone, and where it belongs.

A block of Red Aswan granite carrying the tool marks of ancient quarrymen

30 June 2026

Red Aswan: the granite of obelisks

Ancient Egypt reserved the red granite of Aswan for obelisks and sanctuaries. It is still quarried there, and still chosen for one reason: it does not move.

Egyptian stone samples standing side by side: black granite, red granite, grey and white marble, honey onyx and cream limestone

23 June 2026

The stones of Egypt: a guide to Egyptian marble and granite

Galala, Sunny, Milly, Safaga, Aswan, Sinai: what each Egyptian stone is, where its name comes from, and where it belongs in a building.