This week’s news cycle may be lighter than usual, with much of the industry preparing for the 60th anniversary edition of Marmomac which opened yesterday, but the strongest stories point in the same direction: material claims are going to require considerably better evidence.

California has released a discussion draft that would prohibit the manufacture and fabrication of artificial stone containing more than 1% crystalline silica. This is not yet law, nor is it a statewide sales ban. However, the proposed framework is important because manufacturers and suppliers may need documentation proving a product falls below the threshold. Without sufficient evidence, the material could be presumed restricted.

That proposal landed in the same week Safe Work Australia published a University of Wollongong study examining engineered, ceramic and natural stone products. Of 18 products expected to contain zero crystalline silica, four reportedly contained between 19% and 88%.

The study was limited and was not designed to determine the prevalence of incorrectly marketed products across the Australian market. It also cannot provide definitive conclusions about worker exposure or health risk. Nevertheless, the findings expose a serious weakness in relying on a product name, category or “silica-free” claim without understanding how the material was tested and whether the results apply to the supplied batch.

Europe is moving in a similar direction from an environmental-performance perspective. Delegated Regulation 2026/1310 entered into force on 17 September, assigning system 3+ to the assessment of environmental sustainability characteristics under the Construction Products Regulation. It does not create an immediate Digital Product Passport deadline for every stone product, but it advances a system in which environmental inputs, assumptions and assessment processes will face external validation.

The commercial message is straightforward. Suppliers will increasingly need to connect claims to test methods, identifiable products, batches and supporting documents. Fabricators and specifiers will need to ask better questions before accepting those claims.

Whether the issue is crystalline silica, environmental performance or provenance, saying what a product is will no longer be enough. The businesses that can demonstrate it will hold the stronger position.

Until next week; keep looking beyond the surface.
Alf.

Reclaimed Stone Becomes the Starting Point for Danish Design: A newly published feature documents how Danish practice Gruppe Aja is allowing available reclaimed stone to influence the design of an ongoing project. The example offers an interesting alternative to selecting a new material first, although installed quantities, processing costs, technical acceptance and environmental outcomes have not yet been published.

California Proposes a 1% Crystalline Silica Threshold for Artificial-Stone Fabrication: Cal/OSHA has released a discussion draft that would prohibit manufacturing or fabricating artificial stone containing more than 1% crystalline silica by weight. The proposal is not yet law, and its commencement periods remain provisional, but suppliers may ultimately need documentation proving that a product complies or is not classified as artificial stone.

Australian Testing Challenges Zero-Silica Product Claims: A University of Wollongong study published by Safe Work Australia found that four of 18 products expected to contain zero crystalline silica contained between 19% and 88%. The limited sample does not establish the prevalence of incorrect claims or definitive worker-health risks, but it strengthens the case for product-specific testing, batch traceability and continued dust controls.

New EU Construction-Product Verification Rules Enter into Force: EU Delegated Regulation 2026/1310 entered into force on 17 September, allocating assessment and verification systems across construction-product categories and assigning system 3+ to environmental sustainability characteristics. It strengthens the wider verification framework but does not create an immediate DPP deadline or automatically move every stone product into a new assessment process.

SlabOS Publishes Evidence Framework for Software Migration: SlabOS reports examining more than 155,000 quotes, 111,000 jobs and 1.17 million job activities carrying migration provenance in destination records. The company-authored review is not an independent audit, but its focus on drawings, historical pricing, files, inventory commitments and record relationships provides fabricators with a useful framework for assessing a software migration.

Turkish Natural-Stone Exports Reportedly Reach US$1.391 Billion: A Turkish industry report places the country’s natural-stone exports at US$1.391 billion for January through August 2026, an increase of 5.1% year on year. Without the underlying customs data, volume figures or product and destination breakdowns, the result should be treated as a useful trade-value indicator rather than proof of stronger demand or profitability.

Did You Know? Marmomac did not begin in the Verona exhibition centre where it is held today. Its origins lie in Sant’Ambrogio di Valpolicella, a historic marble-working district northwest of Verona, where the original fairgrounds were built to serve the local stone industry.

The event began in 1961 as a regional showcase for Italian marble and stoneworking. It has since developed into the international meeting point for the entire natural-stone supply chain, with the 2026 event marking its 60th edition.

Sant’Ambrogio’s stone heritage extends even further back: its specialist school for marble carvers was founded in 1863, almost a century before the first fair. From a local industry exhibition rooted in a small quarrying and processing district, Marmomac grew into an event attracting around 50,000 visitors and 1,400 exhibitors from across the world.

Not bad for something that started as a local marble fair.

Till next time,