GB/T 13890-2025Classification and terminology of natural stones (English PDF)

1 Scope

GB/T 13890-2025 is the Chinese national standard on classification and terminology of natural stones, in the field of construction materials and building. The /T suffix marks it as a recommended standard: it is not compulsory by itself, but it becomes binding as soon as a contract, a tender or a customer specification calls it up - which in practice is how most foreign buyers meet it. It was issued on 1 August 2025 by the State Administration for Market Regulation; Standardization Administration of China, and has been in force since 1 February 2026. Classification: ICS 91.100.15, CCS Q21. This page is published from the official record of the standard held by the Chinese standards administration: the identification, the dates, the classification and the issuing body are taken from there. The clause text, the tables and the numeric limits are in the document itself, which is delivered complete in English translation.

This document defines the classification, terminology, geological terminology, mining terminology, processing terminology, product terminology, performance terminology, and safety terminology for natural stone. Definition of the terminology. This document applies to the definition and production of various types of natural stone used in construction and decoration.

3.Classification Natural stone is classified into six categories based on rock type and physical properties. granite, marble, limestone, sandstone, slate, and other stones. The rock type and physical properties of the stone should conform to the provisions of Table 1.

4 Types of Terminology

4.1 rock Naturally occurring, possessing a certain structure, primarily composed of rock-forming minerals, natural glass, colloids, or biological remains. Fit.

4.2 stone Materials made primarily from rock, processed and used for purposes such as construction, decoration, landscaping, cemeteries, roads, or handicrafts.

Note. Includes both natural stone and artificial stone.

4.3 natural stone Building and decorative materials made from rocks that have been selected and processed into specific sizes or shapes while retaining the original basic properties of the rocks.

Note. When cement or synthetic resin is used to fill the natural gaps and cracks in natural stone during processing, the internal structure of the stone remains unchanged, and it is still considered natural. The category of stone materials.

4.4 granite Natural stone that is hard, wear-resistant, and weather-resistant, mainly composed of silicates or siliceous materials in igneous and metamorphic rocks.

4.5 marble Carbonate rocks, represented by metamorphic marble, and a small number of other rocks of different origins and salts.

4.6 limestone Sedimentary rock materials with calcite or dolomite as their mineral composition.

4.7 quartz-based sandstone Clastic sedimentary rocks formed by various sedimentary processes, with quartz, feldspar, rock fragments and other minerals as the main components.

4.8 slate Natural stone with a slab-like structure or that is easily split into slab shapes.

4.9 Other stone It does not conform to the classification of granite, marble, limestone, sandstone, or slate, or has special colors, patterns, physical and chemical properties, or mineral composition. Different types of stone.

5 Geological Terminology

5.1 quartz Crystalline silicon dioxide.

5.2 Feldspar Framework silicate minerals containing potassium, sodium, and calcium.

Note. Common types include plagioclase and orthoclase.

5.3 mica Layered silicate minerals containing iron, magnesium, and potassium.

Note. Common types include muscovite and biotite.

5.4 pyroxene Chain silicate minerals containing iron, magnesium, calcium, sodium, and lithium.

5.5 amphibole Chain silicate minerals containing iron, magnesium, calcium, sodium and hydroxide ions.

5.6 calcite It is a carbonate mineral whose main component is calcium carbonate.

Note. These are the main mineral components of limestone and marble.

5.7 Dolomite It is a carbonate mineral whose main components are calcium and magnesium carbonate.

Note. These are the main mineral components of marble and limestone.

5.8 Serpentine A hydrous, magnesium-rich, layered silicate mineral.

Note. Common types include fibrous serpentine, leaf serpentine, and lizardite.

5.9 igneous rock Intrusive and extrusive rocks are formed by magma from deep within the Earth intruding into the Earth's crust or erupting onto the surface.

6 Mining Terminology

6.1 Quarrying The process of separating raw stone blocks from a ore body.

Note. Also known as back-collection.

6.2 Stope The longwall face in a mine.

Note. Also known as a mining site or mining area. It is a constituent unit of a mine. A mine can have multiple mining sites operating in different mining areas at the same time.

6.3 stripping The process of removing the top of the ore body or its overlying layer.

6.4 Recovery rate The percentage of industrial reserves extracted within a mining area relative to the total industrial reserves within that area.

Note. Also known as mining recovery rate.

6.5 long and large block Large, long, slab-shaped blocks extracted from the ore body.

Note. These are large blocks of stone used for dividing raw blocks.

6.6 Wool Roughblock Stone blocks extracted from mines that have not been processed or sorted.

6.7 Raw material block Raw materials are stone processing materials that have been sorted and trimmed to meet certain specifications and standards.

6.8 Protocol data contractblock Raw blocks of material with specifications agreed upon by both the supplier and the buyer.

6.9 Paving Block Stone used for processing paving stones, curb stones, and wall stones.

6.10 block yield The ratio of the total volume of raw blocks mined from a given ore body that meet the requirements to the total volume of the ore body.

7 Processing Terminology

7.1 sawing The process of initially breaking down stone blocks into slabs or sheets.

Note. Common sawing methods include circular saw cutting, sand saw cutting, strip saw cutting, and wire saw cutting.

7.2 diamond saw cutting diamond-saw The process of processing stone using tools such as circular saws or saw blades with diamond tips.

7.3 Diamond wire saw cutting The process of processing stone using wire saw equipment that uses diamond beaded rope or electroplated diamond rope.

7.4 Gang-sawn sawing The process of processing stone using combined steel strips and cold steel grit.

7.5 Surface dressing The process of treating the surface of stone.

Note. Based on the processing techniques and the appearance of the finished product, stone surface processing is categorized into natural splitting, axe chiseling, hammering, pineapple, lychee, longan, mushroom, fixed thickness, and coarse finishing. Grinding, matte, polishing, brushing, machine cutting, machine planing, flame finishing, water washing, sandblasting, acid washing, antique finish, and other special surfaces such as water ripple finish.

7.6 Natural side split The natural split surface is created by splitting the stone with a tool.

7.7 Mushroom noodles rocked After the surface is processed to a natural finish, the edges are straightened and the center protrudes, creating a mushroom-shaped surface.

7.8 Pineapple noodles (picked) Use a pointed chisel to smooth, but rather rough, the surface.

7.9 lychee-hammered The processed surface was pounded with a lychee hammer.

7.10 Longan noodles fine-axed The processed surface was pounded with a longan hammer.

7.11 axe The surface of the stone is processed by striking it with a straight axe to create a textured surface with visible lines.

Note. There are various shapes of axe, such as straight axe, random axe, and ice flower axe.