A 70-tonne \'seed\' of granite left Ennstone\'s DeLank quarry in Cornwall on Sunday 10 June to make the 20-mile journey to the geodesic domes of the Eden Project.

For the past two years, DeLank quarry has been home for a team of 10 stonemasons shaping what started out as a 450-tonne block into one of world\'s heaviest sculptures made from a single piece of stone.

The finished work, designed by the world renowned sculptor Peter Randall-Page and entitled The Seed, is the centrepiece for a new education centre at the Eden Project. It was due to be unveiled to the public on 21 June following a concert in the former china clay quarry by a different kind of rock legend - Peter Gabriel.

De Lank quarry manager Ian Skinner says of the project to create The Seed: "The quarrymen won the original 450-tonne block of granite using a combination of stitch drilling and a small charge of black powder.

"From that block, a more manageable 167-tonne piece was carefully lifted out of the quarry using one of the largest cranes in Europe. This mammoth block is probably the biggest piece of stone moved since the construction of Stonehenge - and, naturally, we\'re all very proud to have been involved."

The crane used was the same one that had lifted the roof on to Arsenal\'s Emirates Stadium. It was transported on 20 trucks and reassembled at the quarry.

The transformation of the granite block to the finished masterpiece involved not only traditional stone masonry techniques but also high-tech laser technology.

The Seed is designed on a pattern created using Fibonacci numbers (which describe the spiral effects on pine cones). To achieve the correct spacing for each of the 1,800 nodules that cover the surface, the marking out was produced at night using a laser.

Finding the right stone for the project was one of the hardest jobs, as Peter Randall-Page explains. "It must have taken us a year. We searched quarries throughout Europe hoping to find the right piece, but it was DeLank that came up with the goods."

Peter would normally take the stone to his studion in Drew-steignton, Devon, but clearly that was not feasible with a 167-tonne block.

"The quarrymen were absolutely brilliant. Finding such a large block without major faults was a big challenge. Their knowledge is second to none."

He adds: "De Lank granite is beautiful stuff to work with. It\'s one of the hardest stones but is perfectly suited to rounded, heavy shapes."

DeLank Quarry, operated by Ennstone Building Products, has supplied stone for some of the UK\'s most prestigeous projects for more than 150 years. Its silver grey granite has been used for Tower Bridge, The Royal Opera house and the recent refurbishment of Trafalgar †Square.

To find out more about the project and see more pictures of how The Seed has evolved, visit Peter Randall-Page\'s website.

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