Based on the hardness of the stone and the ease of access to the quarry, the blocks of stone are extracted by drilling a series of holes (like tear sheets), or by passing a cable covered in industrial diamonds. Sometimes we use a giant chainsaw or circular blade. We never use explosives to separate the blocks, for it would cause cracks, or otherwise undermine the integrity of the stone. Blocks of stone are precut at the required size and can be finished using state of the art machines or can be impeccably handcrafted by our experienced artisans. All of Francois and Co. products are impeccable hand carved using the finest cuts of limestone by our artisans.