Archaean Century Limestone

About
Item Details
- Material Type:
- Limestone
- Origin:
Jordan - Recommended Usage:
- planters, fountains, facade, urban street furnitures, building stone, ornamental stone, stairs, interior, exterior wall applications, mosaic, waterjet pattern, wall panels, table tops, balustrades, columns, wall and pool copings, pool pavers, fireplaces
- Additional Names:
- Primeval Era Limestone, Ancient Eon Limestone, Archean Eon Limestone, Archean Era Limestone, Archaean Beige Limestone, Ajloun Sahara Limestone, Ajlouni Limestone, Ajloun Stone, Desert Beige Limestone, Ajloun Desert Beige Stone, Ajlouni Desert Beige Limestone, in China stone market:太古世纪(Tài gǔ shì jì)
- Finished Surface:
- Polished,Bush Hammered,Tumbled,Brushed,Honed,Split,Machine Cut,Natural Surface,Sandblasted,Combed,Leathered,Water Jet,Filled,Chiseled,Pickling
Testing
- Water Absorption:
- 0.7 – 1.2 %
- Density:
- 2655 kg/m³
- Flexural Strength:
- 8 – 11 MPa
- Compressive Strength:
- 60 – 80 MPa
Description
Archaean Century Limestone — a warm, sandy-beige Jordanian limestone with golden highlights and prominent fossil segment patterns, quarried from the Ajloun / Deir ʿAllā region (≈40–50 km NW of Amman).
Visual & tactile characteristics
- Background colour: warm sandy beige with golden-yellow hues and occasional cream tones.
- Pattern: abundant fossil segments (shell fragments, bioclasts) and bedding lines that create organic, rhythmic texture — from subtle veining to clearly visible rounded fossil sections.
- Texture: typically fine- to medium-grained calcitic matrix hosting coarser fossil fragments; feels slightly grainy to the touch where fossils are exposed, smoother on compact calcitic areas.
- Appearance variability: natural variation in tone and fossil density between blocks; veining and fossil clustering can produce feature/bespoke slabs ideal for focal walls or reception counters.
Typical mineral & chemical composition
(typical ranges — laboratory testing required for contract)
- Calcium carbonate (CaCO₃, mainly calcite): 94.0 – 98.0 %
- Magnesium (as MgO / dolomite): 0.1 – 1.0 %
- Silica (SiO₂ — quartz, siliceous grains): 0.3 – 3.0 %
- Alumina (Al₂O₃ — clays): 0.1 – 1.0 %
- Iron oxides (Fe₂O₃): 0.01 – 0.5 %
- Organic carbon / humic mattertrace – 1.0 %
- Others (sulfides, phosphates, trace minerals): trace amounts
Mineralogy:predominantly calcite (CaCO₃) with local occurrences of dolomite, minor quartz grains, and clay minerals (illite/kaolinite) in minor amounts. Fossil fragments are shell-carbonate and skeletal debris (bioclasts).
Note: those are representative ranges for a fossiliferous Jordanian limestone of this style. For engineering or chemical specifications, request a certified lab analysis of the exact block/lot.
Mechanical & physical test data
- Water absorption: 0.7 – 1.2 % ( typical for moderately dense limestone)
- Bulk density / apparent density: ≈ 2655 kg/m³
- Flexural strength (Modulus of Rupture): 8 – 11 MPa
- Compressive strength (typical range): ~40 – 110 MPa (depends on porosity, fossil content and bedding) — measure before structural use.
- Mohs hardness: ~3.0 – 3.5 (soft-to-moderate; scratches with harder minerals/abrasives)
- Porosity (open porosity): typically 1–6 % (correlates with water absorption; fossil porosity may be higher locally)
- Freeze–thaw resistance: moderate — good in sheltered exterior uses if properly installed and drained; in climates with frequent freeze–thaw cycles some protective detailing and sealers are recommended.
- Thermal behaviour: low thermal expansion; stable for interior and shaded exterior facades.
Recommended technical uses
- Interior: flooring (low–medium traffic), wall cladding, feature walls, fireplaces, reception desks, vanity tops (with sealer), stair treads (with appropriate finish), indoor columns and sculptural elements.
- Exterior (with caution): light exterior cladding, window surrounds, landscape steps and low-wear facades — best in climates without extreme acid rain or very aggressive freeze cycles and when protected from direct splash/soil contact.
- Architectural: hotel lobbies, upscale retail, museum interiors and other high-design applications where fossil texture is a desired focal point.
Not recommended for: heavy industrial floors, areas exposed to strong acids/alkalis, or very high abrasion without protective surface treatment.
Surface finish options
- Polished: glossy, deep colour but shows scratches and requires more maintenance; fossils become accentuated.
- Honed: smooth, low sheen — good for flooring and countertops where lower reflectivity is desired.
- Leathered / brushed: textured, hides scratches and slip better — excellent for countertops and feature walls.
- Sandblasted / bush-hammered: matte/textured, suitable for non-slip exterior use and dramatic tactile surfaces.
- Tumbled: aged, softened edges — good for rustic floors and mosaics.
- Sawn / honed edge (raw): for a contemporary, minimal look.
Choose finish based on slip resistance, appearance, and maintenance expectations.
Typical cutting sizes & tolerances
- Blocks: typical quarried block sizes vary; common export block sizes ~ 1.2–3.0 m (length) × 1.0–1.8 m (width) × 0.6–1.2 m (height) depending on quarry.
- Slabs (standard): 300 × 160 cm, 320 × 180 cm, 240 × 120 cm (availability depends on block size and sawing technique).
- Slab thicknesses (finished): 2 cm (20 mm) and 3 cm (30 mm) are standard for countertops and cladding. Super-thin 10–12 mm and large format panels can be produced per request but depend on structural integrity.
- Tiles / cut-to-size: typical tile sizes available: 60×60 cm, 60×120 cm, 30×60 cm, custom cut sizes possible.
- Tolerance: sawn slab thickness ±2 mm typical; finished cut tolerances depend on fabricator but ±1–2 mm is common for precision work.
Maintenance & care
- Sealing: highly recommended (penetrating / impregnating sealer) for countertops, flooring and exterior exposed faces to reduce staining and slow water ingress. Reapply sealers per manufacturer guidance (typically annually or per traffic).
- Daily cleaning: pH-neutral stone cleaner or mild dish soap and water. Avoid acidic cleaners (vinegar, lemon), bleach or ammonia which can etch calcitic stone.
- Stain management: blot spills quickly (especially oil, wine, coffee). Use poultices for oil or deep stains.
- Repairs: small chips and fissures may be filled with color-matched epoxy or resin; large repairs should be handled by a stone restoration specialist.
- Exterior care: keep drainage details clean; avoid soil contact and de-icing salts on finished surfaces (can cause surface degradation over time).
Installation & specification notes
- Orientation: pay attention to vein/fossil orientation for visual continuity across slabs. Bookmatching or vein-matching can produce dramatic effects.
- Anchoring & support: for heavy façade panels or large slabs provide adequate mechanical anchoring and backup support; check load calculations with the engineer.
- Cutting & prefabrication: use diamond tools and water cooling; fossils and fossil pockets may require special attention to avoid chipping or breakouts.
- Edge profiles: standard eased, bullnose, mitred island tops, and custom profiling are achievable; very thin edges over large spans should be supported to avoid breakage.
Health & environmental
- Silica content: low-to-moderate — standard cutting dust controls (wet cutting, local extraction, PPE) recommended.
- Sustainability: quarrying impacts are site dependent — request quarry reclamation and environmental practice documents if needed for certification (LEED, BREEAM, etc.).
Lab testing & certificates (recommended)
Before final approval for a project, obtain certified laboratory reports for the exact lot/block/slab covering:
- Petrographic analysis (thin section)
- Bulk density & open porosity
- Water absorption & capillarity
- Flexural & compressive strength (EN / ASTM standard tests)
- Freeze–thaw resistance (if exposed)
- Chemical analysis (XRF) for exact composition
- Slip resistance (for flooring finishes)





15YR

















