Quality control
Natural Stone Quality Control
Consistency is the thing an export buyer is actually buying, and it comes from checking a batch against a written order. This page sets out what is checked, and where the limits of that checking sit.
Overview
Stone is a natural material, so quality control here does not mean making every piece identical. It means deciding what the batch has to be, writing that into the order, and then checking the batch against it before the container is loaded.
That order of operations matters. An inspection at the end can only report a problem. An inspection at the end of a batch that was never specified can only report an opinion.
Inspection points
Five things checked on every order
These apply to the six stones and to every format. What changes between orders is the standard each point is checked against.
- 01
Dimensions
Piece length and width are measured against the schedule for the order. Where a dimension has a tolerance, the tolerance is stated in the order, because a limit that was never written down cannot be checked at the end.
- 02
Thickness
Thickness is checked across the batch, not on one piece. Thickness is also what travelling and fixing depend on, so a thin batch is a problem that shows up on site rather than in the yard.
- 03
Surface
The finished face is checked against the surface agreed for the order. Different finishes fail in different ways, which is why the finish is part of the order rather than a note in an email.
- 04
Visible defects
Pieces with cracks, chips or finish faults outside the agreed standard are pulled out. Natural variation is not a defect, so what counts as acceptable has to be agreed before production.
- 05
Sorting and order conformity
The batch is checked against what was ordered: stone, format, finish, quantity and packing unit. This is the point where a shipment either matches the order or does not.
Pre-shipment and packaging checks
The last three checks before the doors close
These happen after production has finished, and they are the ones a buyer rarely sees but always depends on.
- Before the container is booked
The finished batch is checked against the order and the packing unit is confirmed, so that the load can be planned around it rather than squeezed to fit it.
- Before the container is closed
A final check of cargo condition and count. Once the doors are closed, the only remaining evidence is the loading record and the condition of the packing on arrival.
- Packing protection
Protection between pieces and inside the unit is confirmed against the handling and the route. The method is part of the packaging decision, not an afterthought added at loading.
Request a quote
Tell us what the batch has to meet
Write the standard into the enquiry: tolerances, tone range, sorting rule. That is what makes the inspection mean something.