Natural stone profile: Blanco Paloma limestone

We continue here a series of articles about some of the most important Spanish natural stones that can be found on the international market. We present here the Blanco Paloma, a unique light beige / white coloured limestone with great potential for the future.

Background
The Blanco Paloma limestone is extracted around the town of Pedrera, located in the region of Andalucia – Spain. The quarry has a large dimension, with capacity of supplying the whole market. The blocks can be found in small, medium and large dimensions, depending on the client´s needs. Despite the considerable exploration that has been done in the past years, it is estimated that there are still some reserves of this limestone.

Description
The Blanco Paloma is a white coloured limestone, with thin grain, and occasional small brownish spots. This is a limestone with uniform background, presenting a considerable porosity. It may present some occasional fossils. This stone is mostly composed by calcite.

In terms of hardness, this is considered a soft natural stone.

Recommended applications
The Blanco Paloma limestone is most commonly used in interior coverings and exterior applications such as cladding and coverings. It can also be found in flooring with moderate use. However, the type of work that most highlights the characteristics of this stone are found in stonework, bathroom design (shower trays and basins), columns and ballusters, fountains and other applications with considerable thickness.

The Blanco Paloma is commonly found on the market in the forms of:
- slabs
- tiles
- blocks
- finished product (decoration, cladding, etc)

Main markets
The Blanco Paloma is one of the most relevant Spanish limestones, with an interesting market acceptance. But some of the most important markets for the Blanco Paloma are:
- Spain
- Russia
- United States of America
- United Kingdom
- China

Alternative names
The Blanco Paloma limestone can present different names on the market. Some of the most common names are:
- Piedra Paloma
- Paloma limestone
- Bianco Paloma
- White Paloma
- Caliza Paloma