The production of soft stone begins with quarrying. Due to its relatively low hardness, the extraction methods employed for soft stone differ from those used for hard materials such as granite or marble. Modern quarrying operations typically utilize mechanized equipment-such as diamond wire saws-to separate the stone blocks. This method produces smooth cut surfaces, effectively minimizes damage to the raw blocks, and simultaneously enhances extraction efficiency. In certain specific quarry sites or smaller-scale operations, more specialized extraction techniques may also be employed, tailored to the specific characteristics of the rock strata.
The large blocks of stone extracted from the quarry are referred to as "rough blocks." Upon extraction, these blocks undergo a rigorous process of inspection and sorting. Workers grade the stone based on various criteria, including color, texture, the presence or absence of fissures, and physical dimensions. This step is of paramount importance, as it determines the future commercial value and intended application grade of the stone. Once sorted, the rough blocks are transported to processing plants to proceed to the next stage of production. During transportation and storage, extreme care and caution are exercised to prevent collisions that could result in breakage; after all, even soft stone-when in the form of massive blocks-retains a certain degree of inherent brittleness.