Fireplaces

The fireplace can be crafted from natural materials (e.g. Stone / Granite / Marble) which have formed over many millions of years, in many cases over 300 million years.  Extracted directly out of the earth containing fossils and layers of organic material which, when worked, form the exquisite beauty of stone that ancient nature has created. Therefore you can expect to find unique and individual markings and veining running throughout  a marble fireplace or limestone fireplace.  These would either not be present or indeed removed in a man-made manufactured product, which is then seen as flawless and consistant.  No two units produced from the same natural material will be exactly the same.

Both have their place, those of us who appreciate natural materials in their homes and undeniably those who wish for products made from manufactured materials without imperfections (e.g. Corian).