What kinds of stone are used for sculpture?

Artists can use stone sculpture to tell their own stories, express their feelings and make their mark on the world. Would you like to discover this world? Of course you would! Once you’ve learned about the tools for sculpting stone and how to work with stone, all that’s left to learn is what kinds of stone you can use for sculpture and how to work with them.

Shall we get started? Of course you would!

The best kinds of stone for sculpture

Alabaster, a fantastic stone for beginners.

Alabaster is one of the most popular types of stone in the world of sculpture, with artists appreciating it mostly for its malleable nature. It is also an incredibly beautiful material, with its translucent appearance giving it a particularly elegant finish. It is a white stone that is fairly soft, compact and with a marbled appearance. Its composition makes it very easy to carve, so it is perfect for beginners.

It was used in Egypt, Greece and China in ancient times for creating artisanal products, and in Spain it was used for producing sculpted altarpieces in religious buildings, such as monasteries and churches.

Limestone, for producing more durable sculptures

Limestone is a sedimentary rock largely made up of calcium carbonate, and it occasionally contains small quantities of other minerals, such as clay or quartz. Due to its fantastic weather-resistant properties, many of the sculptures and buildings made out of this material thousands of years ago have been preserved to this day. A great example of this in Spain is Burgos Cathedral, a very impressive architectural masterpiece.

Marble, suitable only for the most experienced sculptors

Marble is a compact metamorphic rock that is submitted to high temperatures to reach a high level of crystallisation. Curiously, even though 90% of its composition is made up of calcium carbonate, it is the rest of its components that provide its colour and properties. It is the various colours found in marble that show us the other components that make up this small proportion.

Beginners should bear in mind that recently cut marble is easier to work with. However, it is important to note that marble that has been exposed to the elements will be harder, making it the better option if you want to use it outdoors.

Once it has been polished, marble will be left with a very smooth surface and will break very easily. In fact, we are sure that you’ve seen a marble sculpture in a museum with a missing arm or foot at some point.

Sandstone, a simple option for making sculptures

The way sandstone is formed is very interesting, to say the least. It is formed as a bed of sand sinks into the earth’s crust, where it is heated and compressed by the pressure from other sediments. Hot water also provides it with various different dissolved minerals, such as quartz and iron oxide.

Sandstone is generally fairly easy to work with for producing sculptures, but it does tend to wear down sculpting tools quicker than other materials. You may not have known this, but the majority of buildings in Salamanca are made from this type of stone.

Granite, the most elegant stone

Granite is a plutonic rock formed from quartz, mica and alkaline feldspars, and, although it is a very common form of stone, it is only formed in certain very special places.

This type of stone has been used since ancient times. In fact, the Egyptians used it for building columns, doors, lintels and even the King’s Chamber in the Great Pyramid of Giza. These days it is used for stonemasonry and for slabs sawn from large blocks.

As with marble, granite is a safe choice if an artist is looking to achieve an elegant finish. Granite is also very strong and durable due to the high level of quartz content.

Soapstone, a stone that can even be cut with a knife

Soapstone is a metamorphic rock composed mainly of talc and, to a lesser degree, quartz, mica, chlorite, iron and magnetite. After talc, soapstone is the second softest mineral available. However, it is highly resistant to heat and, precisely for this reason, it has been traditionally used for making cooking pots, pans and trays.

Since talc is its main component, it can be used for producing many different kinds of ceramic pieces for decorating buildings and homes. Interesting, right? Sculptors use it very often because it is so soft, so it can be cut easily, even with a knife or any other sharp tool.

The exciting art of sculpture

Did you know about all these types of stone for making sculptures? Although these are not the only types of stone that exist, they are some of the most common. Let us know if you have used any of them before or if you’ve seen sculptures made from them. And, of course, if you think of another stone that you would like us to include in this list, let us know! We would love to read your comments below.