Our passion, our core competence, and the material that makes our hearts beat: natural stone in all its variations and facets.
Natural stone is one of the most artistic treasures of the earth and has always been a sought-after raw material. Its hardness, workability, durability, and natural beauty make it the perfect material for construction, architecture, interior design, landscaping, and art.
Natural stone is the umbrella term for a variety of rock types found around the globe. The variety of types, properties, and colors, as well as processing possibilities, are limitless. The natural resource stone is considered particularly environmentally friendly. With proper care, natural stone products last a lifetime, making natural stone the most sustainable building material on our planet.
Each natural stone has individual characteristics. These make it differently resistant to abrasion, scratches, frost, and acid. To determine the application area and optimal processing, natural stones are categorized by hardness. The basis for this is their mechanical properties.
All sedimentary and deposit rocks are considered soft stones; the most well-known representatives are marble, slate, sandstone, or limestone. They have a unique appearance and a typical structure dominated by calcium carbonate. They often also contain dolomite, clay minerals, quartz, and gypsum, making soft stones sensitive to acid. When used, it must be considered that soft stones are more susceptible to abrasion, erosion, and weathering due to their lower hardness and strength.
Hard rocks include granite, gneiss, and quartzite, all of which have high density and strength. They form through the metamorphosis of pre-existing rock, either through high temperatures, pressure, or both. Hard rocks typically exhibit high resistance to abrasion, aggressors, erosion, and weathering. This makes them a popular building material for flooring, kitchen countertops, and other applications where durability is required.
From Valser Quartzite to Cristallina Marble – the Swiss mountains hold some treasures. Currently, natural stones are extracted from 77 quarries in Switzerland. Between the Jura Mountains and the Alps, you can find a variety of hard and soft rocks such as gneisses, granites, marbles, sandstones, or limestones. Ecological and authentic: The use of local building materials is more popular than ever.
Pizrog's natural stone range includes countless countries with their region-specific geological gems. In our showroom, we have samples in all colors and surfaces ready – and for some highlights, also an application example.
A competent team with years of experience in stone processing takes care of the execution of our projects. From offer preparation, through measuring and planning to production, our project managers keep everything under control and the budget in check.
With craftsmanship and high-precision machines, we process the stone slabs in our in-house manufactory. Our experienced stonemasons cut the delivered oversized slabs themselves and process them into all kinds of natural stone products using the latest technologies.
From the natural stone kitchen to the pool: The assembly of the workpieces and the installation of the slabs on-site is carried out by the experienced Pizrog team. This guarantees professional installation, a clean project completion, and satisfied customers.
Well maintained, natural stone is a material for eternity. To keep the seal intact, careful handling is not only important. We recommend regular cleaning and maintenance by our professionals. Our repair service is also happy to assist with any potential damage.
To the Care Service
Looking for the right natural stone for your project? Felix Gary looks forward to a personal exchange.
felix.gary@pizrog.ch
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The main difference lies in their hardness and density. While hard rock is generally very hard and resistant to scratches and wear, soft rock can show signs of wear more quickly. Soft rock also has a lower density than hard rock, meaning it can be lighter and more porous. The distinction affects their use in various applications. Hard rocks are often used for countertops, indoor and outdoor flooring, and other high-traffic areas, while soft rocks are used more for decorative applications due to their lower hardness.
The choice of surface depends on various factors, including the intended use, the desired aesthetic effect, and specific requirements for durability and maintenance. It is important to select the surface treatment according to the needs. The most common surface treatments are: Polished (smooth & shiny), Honed (smoothed, silky and matte shine), Satin (matte & slightly textured), Flamed (rough & textured, particularly slip-resistant), Flamed & Brushed (rough texture, particularly slip-resistant), Sandblasted (rough & slip-resistant texture).
It is important to consider that different natural stones may have different maintenance requirements due to their properties. Please refer to our cleaning and maintenance guide. In general: Acidic cleaners should be avoided and stains should be treated immediately. Due to the sensitive surface, abrasive cleaning tools should also be avoided, and professional cleaning and maintenance should be carried out at regular intervals.