Syrian Limestone: A Buyer's Guide

Syrian Limestone: A Buyer's Guide

Syrian limestone is a broad name. It covers pale, even stones and warmer, more active ones, and the right choice depends on the colour range, the finish and the use. This guide sets out the limestones we quarry and process in Syria, how they differ, and what to specify so that offers can be compared like for like.

What limestone is

Limestone is a sedimentary rock composed mainly of calcium carbonate, in the form of calcite.¹ Most limestone forms in calm, warm, shallow seas from the accumulation of shell, coral and other organic debris,¹ which is why some limestones look almost uniform while others show fossils. As dimension stone, limestone is cut into blocks and slabs of specific sizes and used for facing stone, floor tiles, stair treads and many other purposes.¹

Pale limestone has a long building history in Syria: quarries close to Aleppo supplied blocks of white stone for the city's buildings.² Our Aleppo stone guide explains what that regional name means for a buyer today, and Syrian, Turkish, Egyptian and Jordanian limestone compared shows how to weigh offers from different origins.

Our Syrian limestones: five colours

• Extra White Limestone: a clean white tone with minimal natural movement, for projects that need visual consistency and brightness; naturally limited in availability.
• Selected Milky White Limestone: light ivory-white, with subtle cream tones and restrained natural movement.
• Venato Milky White Limestone: a milky white base with warm beige undertones and more pronounced, mottled movement.
• Ivory Silk Limestone: warm ivory, finely layered, with subtle linear movement.
• Crema Limestone: warm cream, with a naturally varied surface, soft beige movement and subtle fossil character.

Our article The Many Whites of Syrian Limestone compares the four palest selections side by side.

Fossil limestone: the shell stones

Bianco Shell Stone and Damascus Shell Stone are fossil limestones. A limestone made almost entirely of shell fragments is known as coquina, or shell stone.³ Bianco is pale ivory-white with embedded shell formations and flowing movement; Damascus is warm beige, with dense shell formations and layered movement. Our fossil limestone guide explains how to read and specify them.

Finishes, formats and uses

All seven are supplied as blocks, slabs and cut-to-size pieces, in these finishes, among others:

• Raw: left as cut, a natural, slightly rough surface.
• Honed: ground flat to a smooth matte or satin surface, without gloss.
• Polished: ground and buffed to a reflective gloss that deepens the colour; more slippery when wet than a matte surface.
• Antique: a softly worn, textured surface with an aged look, typically produced by brushing or tumbling.

Typical uses are flooring, wall cladding, facades, steps, landscaping and architectural details. Polished limestone is often offered as marble; our Syrian marble guide explains the trade name. For travertine, see our Syrian travertine guide.

What to specify

Dimension stone is judged on colour, grain texture and pattern, surface finish, and durability and strength for the intended use.⁴ For limestone, write these points into the order:

1. The stone name and rock type, for example Crema Limestone, limestone.
2. The colour range you accept, seen on range samples rather than a single tile.
3. The finish.
4. The format, thickness, dimensions and tolerances.
5. The use: inside or outside, floor or wall, wet areas, and whether the site sees frost.
6. The technical information your specification needs. Limestone dimension stone is classified by density under ASTM C568, with requirements for absorption, density and strength,⁵ and in Europe the water absorption of natural stone is tested to EN 13755.⁶ Ask our team which technical information is available for your project.

Our specification checklist covers the full list.

How to order

• Orders start at one 20 ft container, usually about 300 to 350 m² of stone depending on the thickness and format; a 20 ft container carries about 16 to 25 tonnes. Ordering by the container explains the arithmetic.
• Production typically takes about 14 days, sometimes up to around 20, before the goods are ready to ship.
• We quote FOB Latakia, CIF to your port or EXW, depending on the order and route. On FOB Latakia, our delivery is complete when the goods are on board the vessel at the port of Latakia, and sea freight and insurance from there are arranged by the buyer.
• Before loading, we send photos and video of the actual stone in your order, and you are welcome to inspect it in person. Every crate is numbered and documented, and the shipment travels with a packing list and a certificate of origin.

What Drives the Price of Syrian Limestone lists the factors behind a quote.

Producer or trader

Syrian limestone is sold by producers that quarry and process it, and by companies that buy it and resell it, in Syria or abroad. Both can serve a project. Ask who operates the quarry, where the stone is processed and which port it ships from, so that you know how many steps sit between the quarry and your site. Our guide Producer or Trader? lists the questions.

Questions buyers ask

Is Syrian limestone suitable for exterior use?

It depends on the stone, the finish, the climate and the fixing method. Our limestones are used for facades, steps and landscaping; tell us where the stone will go and which test data your specification requires.

Is shell stone a limestone?

Yes. Shell stone is a fossil limestone, made almost entirely of shell fragments.

Can I get samples?

Ask for samples in your enquiry, naming the stone, the finish and the thickness you have in mind, and our sales team will tell you what can be sent.

Short answers on quotes, inspection before loading, delivery, payment and export documents are in our buyer questions.