Reconstituted stone garden ornament

Reconstituted stone garden ornaments develop a patina which depends on where they are placed

Reconstituted stone garden ornaments develop a patina which depends on where they are placed

Most of the ‘concrete ornaments’ in garden stores are vile, some more reminiscent of a stained WC pan than of a stone garden ornament. But there are some notable exceptions and the best quality products we know of are made by Chilstone. The company explains that each ornament ‘is handmade in reconstituted stone by a special process, developed over our long history to ensure a finished texture virtually indistinghishable from natural stone’. They specialize in making accurate copies of antique originals. Mosses and lichens grow well on the products and the species which flourish depend entirely on the local environmental conditions (shade, sun, moisture etc) so that they become INDISTINGHISHABLE from natural stone ornaments. The ingredients are crushed stone and a binder – with no use of the sand or aggregate normally used in making concrete. The ornaments are not very cheap but they are very good, so that many Chilstone items have been sold at Sotheby’s for many times their original retail price. You can think of them as an investment!

Reconstituted stone: freshly cast (left) and in the early stages of developing a patina (right)

Reconstituted stone: freshly cast (left) and in the early stages of developing a patina (right)

One thought on “Reconstituted stone garden ornament

  1. Christine

    Interesting to think that they may one day be considered alongside the Piet Jonker Collection [http://viewer.zmags.com/publication/4fc7b228#/4fc7b228/17]within Sootheby’s Garden Statuary & Architectural Items.[http://www.sothebys.com/app/live/dept/DepartmentGlobal.jsp?dept_id=12].

    The trend for vertical gardens it seems is only going to increase the prices for statuary. [http://www.aileenminor.com/art-and-antiques.htm] See auction results: [http://www.summersplaceauctions.com/Default.aspx]

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