The partners of Pacific Shore Stones travel regularly to far-flung corners of the globe in search of the best quality, new exotic stones, and to create connections with quarry owners around the world. This month, they were in Brazil for their final trip of 2016, seeking out Mustang White and Mustang Brown quartzite. Leaving Houston, they traveled to Sao Paulo in Brazil, and then transferred to a local flight to Salvador, the capital of Brazil’s north-eastern state of Bahia. From there, they drove for 5 hours into a remote part of the state, staying in the small town of Moro de Chapeu, BA in the Diamantina region, which is well known for quartzite. After almost 24 hours of traveling, they were only 10 miles away by dirt road from their planned destination.
Waking early the next morning, they set off into an area spanning about 12 acres – the site of the sought after Mustang White and Brown quartzite quarry. Our partners gained access to the site through relationships formed with the quarry owner, who currently sells a limited amount to suppliers in Brazil and Italy. Pacific Shore Stones Operating Partner Marco Pereira said: “Production at the quarry is very consistent and linear, more so than other quartzites from Brazil such as macaubas. Mustang is a hard, dense quartzite making it a versatile choice for our inventory.”
The area of land being quarried is relatively small, and quarrying was only started after extensive, careful exploration of the area. The countryside around Moro de Chapeu is popular for treks and trails, and some areas of archaeological interest that have been found nearby will be carefully preserved. Indigenous paintings can be seen in the rock formation image at the top of the article.
Marco Pereira commented: “This was a very exciting trip and we look forward to bringing more of this quartzite to the USA. Every natural stone we source like this brings its own unique story and adventure. We feel very privileged to be a part of this amazing industry that connects us with so many interesting people and places around the world.”
To see our full selection of natural stone and other surfaces, check out our current inventory at your nearest location.