Artificial stone includes synthetic gemstones, stone veneer, concrete compounds, and cast stone. Coade stone, a ceramic compound, was created in the 18th century and is revered for its erosion resistance. Man-made gems are used for jewelry and industrial purposes. Concrete is a primary ingredient in cast stone, which can be stained or painted to mimic natural stone. Resinous stone is lightweight and inexpensive, used in tiling and garden statues.
Artificial stone refers to a synthetically created compound that resembles or has the same properties as natural stone. There are many different types of man-made stone, including synthetic gemstones, stone veneer, concrete compounds, and cast stone. Cast stone has many different uses as a material, from making trinkets to the primary building material in buildings.
One of the earliest types of man-made stone is a ceramic compound known as Coade. Created by 18th-century inventor Eleanor Coade, Coade stone was created through a combination of clay, quartz, flint and other materials, which could be poured into molds and fired to the desired hardness. Though only produced for 18 years, Coade stone has become a revered and sought-after material due to its resistance to erosion. However, Coade stone was largely replaced by concrete products in the early 19th century and ceased production altogether in the 70s.
Man-made gemstones are a popular way to create inexpensive jewelry that resembles traditional gemstones. Many of these are created through laboratory manufacturing, which allows for the growth of synthetic crystals that look nearly identical to geologically created gems, but may have different chemical properties. Extremely cheap replicas can also be made from other materials, such as plastic or glass, but are easy to distinguish from real stones. Man-made gems are also used for industrial purposes, such as making laboratory diamonds for abrasive and cutting tools.
Concrete is a primary ingredient in the creation of many different types of cast stone. Composed of cement, gravel, ash, and liquid additives, concrete is usually poured into molds that look like chunks of natural stone. Cement-based products can often be stained or painted to mimic the color of natural stone, and are often lighter and less expensive than natural stone. This type of man-made stone is often called cast stone, worked stone or stone veneer.
An extremely lightweight and inexpensive form of artificial stone is resinous stone, which is composed of natural and synthetic sap, as well as cement and coagulants. Resinstone is sometimes used in the tiling of floors, showers and counters and is often found as the primary material in garden statues, fountains and benches. Depending on the quality of the material, resin stone can look quite natural or it can look fake and plastic. At a distance, however, even inexpensive resin gives a passable appearance of real stone, and its light weight makes it a good material for items that need to be moved regularly.
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