Two Indian limestones, both widely used at home, both under-specified abroad, and both carrying a naming problem worth fixing.
Jaisalmer Gold — a limestone sold as a sandstone
Verified origin: the Jaisalmer belt, Rajasthan. Alias: Golden Jaisalmer.
The problem: Jaisalmer Gold is routinely sold internationally as "yellow sandstone". It is a limestone.
That is not a pedantic distinction. Sandstone and limestone behave differently under acid, weather differently, take different finishes and require different maintenance advice. A buyer who believes they have bought a sandstone and receives a limestone has been given the wrong maintenance guidance and may specify the wrong cleaning regime.
Clarify the material on every quote. We do.
The same family question applies to Jaisalmer Yellow Marble — a stone in our marble collection from the same belt. Jaisalmer Yellow (marble) and Jaisalmer Gold (limestone) are related, sit in the same colour family, and must be distinguished on documentation.
What it is
The stone of Jaisalmer — the honey-gold fortress city in western Rajasthan whose entire built fabric is made from it. A warm golden-yellow limestone with a fine, even grain, frequently carrying fossil traces and subtle darker banding.
It carries an unusually strong architectural provenance. Jaisalmer Fort, the havelis, and much of the old city are built from it, and it has been quarried in the area for centuries. For a specifier who wants a stone with a story, that is a real asset — in the same category as the Makrana argument, though without the formal IUGS designation. See Makrana White Marble.
Where it belongs
Flooring, internal, in residential and hospitality work. Wall cladding and feature walls — the golden tone under warm light is the reason people buy it. Carving and architectural elements — jaali screens, brackets, mouldings. Jaisalmer's carving tradition is centuries deep and the stone is worked for it. Courtyards and sheltered external work in warm climates. The Gulf is the natural export market. Bathroom and spa work, with sealing.
Where to be careful:
- Freeze-thaw climates. Get EN 13755 absorption and EN 12371 frost resistance for the block run, with EN 12372 flexural before and after cycling. Do not assume a stone from the Thar Desert has been tested for a Polish winter.
- Acid. It is a limestone. Lemon, vinegar and acidic cleaners will etch it.
- Kitchen worktops. Same reason.
Grading
Gold intensity varies from a pale butter to a deep honey. Fossil content and banding vary between benches. Approve a sealed physical range panel.
Tandur Grey — the stone Europe has not met
Verified origin: Tandur / Vikarabad, Telangana — with quarries at Basheerabad and Malkapur. Aliases: Grey Tandur, Grigio Tandur.
Tandur is one of India's largest limestone-producing areas and supplies enormous volume to the Indian domestic market. It is barely present in European specification.
What it is
A fine-grained grey limestone with a natural cleft face, closely related in character and use to Kota stone. It comes grey, and the adjacent Shahabad material from the same region produces similar stone.
It is a hard-wearing, working limestone: flooring, paving, cladding and public realm work rather than decorative feature stone.
Where it belongs
Institutional and commercial flooring, external paving, steps, cladding, and public realm hardscape. The same territory as Kota Blue, with which it competes directly.
The one thing to check
Ports differ. Tandur is a Telangana stone and ships ex-Chennai or Krishnapatnam. Kota ships ex-Mundra or Kandla.
If you are comparing Kota and Tandur on landed cost, you are comparing two different freight lanes as well as two stones. And if you want both in one shipment, one of them is going a long way by road first.
The related Telangana limestones
Lime Peacock — Miryalaguda / Shahabad, Telangana. Sold as Peacock Cuddapah. Chitra Grey — Kurnool / Anantapur, Andhra Pradesh.
The Cuddapah tangle — stated honestly
Several Indian limestones are traded under "Cuddapah" names, referring to the Cuddapah basin in Andhra Pradesh, which has historically supplied black, green and pink limestone.
Our field research places several of these stones elsewhere, and we have not reconciled the conflict. Rather than picking the answer that is easier to sell, we flag them:
| Stone | Traded as | Our position |
|---|---|---|
| Lime Black | Cuddapah Black | Field research: Kota / Chittorgarh / Modak, Rajasthan. Earlier records: Cuddapah, AP. Unreconciled — confirm on first order. |
| Lime Green | Green Cuddapah | Field research: Jhalawar / Kota. Earlier records: Cuddapah. Unreconciled. |
| Lime Pink | Pink Cuddapah | Field research: Gwalior / Dholpur–Karauli belt. Earlier records: Cuddapah. Unreconciled. |
| Galaxy Gold | Jaisalmer Galaxy | Field research: Madhya Pradesh. Earlier records: Jaisalmer. Unreconciled. |
| M Green | Mysore Green | Kadapa / Kurnool AP, or Karnataka. Unconfirmed. |
Why does this matter? Because the port lane and the duty treatment both follow from the origin. A stone we quote ex-Mundra that turns out to be from Andhra Pradesh is a stone that needs to be trucked across India or shipped from Chennai, and the difference is real money and real weeks.
We would rather flag it and confirm on the first order than quote confidently and correct later.
And one that is not Indian at all
Osiris Grey Limestone is Egyptian, branded through a Spanish house, and re-exported through India.
It appears in Indian exporters' catalogues for that reason, and it should never carry an Indian origin claim. A buyer claiming preferential duty under CETA, CEPA or ECTA on Egyptian stone described as Indian has a compliance exposure, not a saving. See Certificate of Origin for Stone Imports.
Test data for either stone
- EN 13755 — water absorption
- EN 12371 — frost resistance, with the cycle count stated
- EN 12372 — flexural strength, before and after cycling
- EN 1926 — compressive strength
- EN 14157 — abrasion resistance, which matters for public realm work
- EN 1936 — density and porosity
- EN 12407 — petrographic description, which also settles the limestone-vs-sandstone question definitively
- Slip data for the finish: wet PTV (UK), DIN 51130 R-class and DIN 51097 (Germany), AS 4586 P-class (Australia)
And a Declaration of Performance under EN 1341, EN 1342 or EN 1343 as applicable.
What to ask a supplier
- Is this a limestone or a sandstone? For Jaisalmer Gold, ask it explicitly and get it in writing.
- Which quarry, and which port does it actually ship from?
- Sealed range panel for tone and fossil content.
- Frost and absorption data for the block run.
- Petrographic description if the material class matters to the specification.
- For any "Cuddapah" stone: where is it actually quarried?
What Gemarix does differently
We write the material class on every line. Jaisalmer Gold is a limestone and our quotation says so, even though "yellow sandstone" is easier to sell into a market that already buys Indian sandstone.
We flag the unreconciled Cuddapah origins on the quotation rather than resolving them in whichever direction is more convenient. And Osiris Grey stays off the Indian list, because it is Egyptian.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Jaisalmer Gold a sandstone or a limestone?
A limestone. It is routinely sold internationally as a yellow sandstone, which it is not. The distinction matters because sandstone and limestone behave differently under acid, weather differently and need different maintenance advice.
Where is Jaisalmer Gold quarried?
In the Jaisalmer belt of western Rajasthan, the stone from which Jaisalmer Fort and the old city are built. It carries an unusually strong architectural provenance, which is a real asset for a specifier who wants a stone with a story.
Where is Tandur Grey limestone from?
From Tandur and Vikarabad in Telangana, with quarries at Basheerabad and Malkapur. Because it is a Telangana stone it ships from Chennai or Krishnapatnam, whereas Kota ships from Mundra or Kandla, so comparing the two means comparing two freight lanes as well as two stones.
Can Jaisalmer Gold be used outside in a cold climate?
Only with data. Get EN 13755 absorption and EN 12371 frost resistance for the block run, with EN 12372 flexural strength before and after cycling. Do not assume a stone from the Thar Desert has been tested for a northern European winter.
Why are some Indian limestones called Cuddapah?
Because the Cuddapah basin in Andhra Pradesh has historically supplied black, green and pink limestone. Our field research places several of those stones in Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh instead, and we flag the conflict rather than picking whichever answer is easier to sell.