The pictures here show the hard landscaping for a private house development in Ireland. The stone was supplied by China (Fujian) Stones. There are two types of stones used – Luna Pearl and Absolute (or Shanxi) Black. 

The grey Luna Pearl, originates from Jinjiang city in Fujian province, Fujian being the leading stone producing region of China. China (Fujian) Stones used Luna Pearl for pavings, curbs, piers and pier caps, and pineapple carvings. The Shanxi Black comes from Da Tong City in the Shanxi province in the north of China. 

China (Fujian) Stones say that in UK and Ireland, most of the projects they supply use Luna Pearl granite because it looks similar to indigenous granites in Scotland and Ireland. 

Shanxi Black is, of course, popular throughout the world, although the high demand for it is reflected in a higher price. 

These are just two of literally thousands of stones available from China (Fujian) Stones. You can see them on their website at the address at the end, although they also have a separate website just for polished tiles, slabs and worktops (www.bistones.com).

Company Director Rong Gao says: “Because China’s largest block trading market is located in Fujian province, it is quite convenient and economical to buy raw blocks and produce locally.”