Sandstone sculptures (approx. 60-90 mm) from Arches in the USA

Sandstone is a sedimentair- or sedimentary rock consisting primarily of grains of sand. By sedimentation of sand grains are also silt, lime, gravel, glimmers, feldspar and other rock fragments deposited. Weathering is an originally yellow-brown sandstone gray. The occurrence of certain oxides and other minerals turns brown red variants. Sandstone consists mainly of quartz. Sandstone in the Netherlands and Belgium pretty much used as building material. In the Netherlands, especially the Bentheim sandstone (from Bentheim) and the Oberkirch Ener sandstone (from Obernkirchen) applied and sculptures also, by the large scale content, fine-grained Baumberger sandstone, which is very suitable for fine stone and sculpture, but not very weatherproof is. In the Netherlands, the name sandstone is used only for pure sandstone (without calcium) mainly from Northern Germany and in a period around 1900 also in Luxembourg and its environs were imported. The sandy limestone ledestone, balegemstone and Gobertange from Belgium (in Belgium often called limestone), which are found in particular with many medieval buildings are not usually counted among the sheer sandstone in the Netherlands. The common term for these stones is white Belgian stone. In the Netherlands, sandstone surface in eastern Twente at Winterswijk and in Limburg. However, it is not won here. In the rest of the Netherlands has not yet acted sufficiently diagenesis to get sandstone. Four centuries, from 1450 to 1850, was mainly from sandstone or via Bad Bentheim transported to the Netherlands on the Vecht. Cities like Ommen and Zwolle run here better for it. Due to the high cost of transport, the stone was mainly used in important buildings. The facades of the Royal Palace include built in Oberkirch Listener and Bentheim sandstone. The invention of the train there were many exotic rock types on the market. This was the highlight of the trade in 'Bentheimerstraat Gold' past. In and around Bentheim still is now obtained at relatively small scale sandstone, especially in Gildehaus; the quarry near Oberkirchen is much larger operation.