Italian Palombino stones have been admired by stone enthusiasts throughout the world. A few collectors criticize these stones because of their lighter color and what they consider to be an insufficient appearance of “oldness.” Japanese stones that are dark and look old, not because of the age of the stone, but because of an aged appearance are prized in Japan. The aged appearance comes from the patina and texture on the surface of the stone. In both China and Japan, stones that have been displayed and admired for centuries are held in very high esteem.
Stone appreciation cultures have only developed in Western countries in the last three to five decades; thus, Western stones will not have the aged appearance of many Asian stones. If the criteria were applied to Western stones, few if any stones would be acceptable. Stones can be enhanced to create an older appearance as is done in both China and Japan. Despite that, Western collectors of stones should not resort to these practices.
We think this criticism of Ligurian Palombino stones is unjustified. Evaluation criteria should be flexible enough to adopt to conditions in other countries. An evaluation of Italian stones should be based upon the internationally-accepted criteria (shape, color, texture, and composition) and take into consideration the geology and cultural history of this country. Italy has a long, rich, and important history. The use of native stones—limestone, alabaster, marble—is an integral part of their history. Visits to Roman ruins and archeological sites throughout Italy quickly reveal the extensive use of lighter colored stones. Thus, in keeping with Italian culture, we believe these light-colored stones make excellent viewing stones.
There are other attractive viewing stones besides Palombino limestones in the Ligurian mountains. Geologically more recent layers of sandstones sometimes occur above the layers of Palombino limestone. In such cases, sand stone rocks, known as Arenaria, are formed. These are sometimes collected and appreciated as viewing stones, but they are a softer stone which makes them somewhat less desirable.