My sister is doing major renovations on her new house, so when she invited me to check out stone materials for countertops, I couldn’t say no. I love rocks, and I was thrilled by the prospect of seeing some unique marbles, colorful quartzes, and all kinds of rare stones from all over the world. This showroom had the most incredible collection of unique rock slabs from quarries in Iran to Madagascar and everywhere else. There were warehouses full of dusty white marble from Italy and a whole area nicknamed “Rodeo Drive” for the genuinely excessive (and expensive) interior decorator. And while some of the pieces were hard to imagine as a stovetop backsplash, it got me thinking about the variety of options available to designers — especially if price is no object!

I have dreamed of photographing minerals and rocks for a while now, so I knew a visit to a stone showroom would make for a great opportunity to photograph some one-of-a-kind pieces and share them here on the blog. It was delightful to get lost amid these giant slabs of rock. It’s hard to imagine, but these complex colors and shapes were formed deep underground millions of years ago. These photographs show just some of the magnificence of rocks here on earth. I’m already a rock lover and a burgeoning rock hound, but I have the feeling this is just the beginning of my journey as a rock photographer too.

Enjoy all the photos below and don’t be surprised if you find me sharing these as the latest art prints on my walls. Tell me which one is your favorite down below!