FOREWORD

Continuing the partnership begun in 1999, the Government of the State of Rio de Janeiro and FIRJAN System have the honor of publishing the first Rio de Janeiro State Dimension Stones Catalogue, including 24 commercial types of marble, granite and natural stones with theirs technological features and pictures. This Catalogue is one more product aiming the development of Rio de Janeiro´s mineral sector, specifically that of dimension stones, which has a high potential in the interior of the State.

This industry has a very important participation in Rio de Janeiro´s and Brazilian trade and economic activity statistics, thus, having been the focus of specifc Governmental actions aiming to attract investments and create new jobs, supporting technical and environmental update of the whole chain of the dimension stone industry, including extraction, processing and transformation, through tax incentives.

The survey on Rio´s Dimension Stones, made by FIRJAN in 1999, resulted in a Plan of Actions specifically designed for the sector. The creation of the Dimension Stones Business Forum coordinated by FIRJAN, in partnership with entrepreneurs and government institutions, facilitated initiatives such as the "Dimension Stones Portfolio" and the "Marble and Granite Convention in Architecture - Rio Stones", a special event to promote the sector, that proves the results obtained through the partnership between government and entrepreneurs.

In this process, Rio de Janeiro State Dimension Stones Catalogue has enhanced this partnership, being an important instrument to consolidate the Rio's stone exports increase, today the 3rd Brazilian stones exporter. So we are sured that the State of Rio de Janeiro fulfills all the requirements in accomplishing it´s mission as development, income and job generator, in many industrial sectors, but specially in the mineral sector, offering to the national and foreign companies the opportunity to be better acquainted with the products manufactured in our State.

Rosinha Garotinho
Governor of State of Rio de Janeiro

Eduardo Eugenio Gouvêa Vieira
President ofFIRJAN System

The dimension stones sector in Brazil represents a wide promising trade surplus, income and job generating activity. The beauty, variety and quality of Brazilian stones has been attracting the attention of international market. Brazil has many competitive advantages related to its geodiversity and a great and wide range of natural resources.

Technological updating and training result in the possibility of exploring and attracting new foreign markets, increasing the volume of exported finished products and reducing the exports of raw material. The portrait of this situation happened in 2000, where values of Brazilian processed dimensions stones reached notable increase.

Statistics from SECEX - the Brazilian Foreign Trade Secretariat - show that the evolution of Rio de Janeiro´s dimension stones exports reached U$ 28,2 millions, which U$ 27,3 millions are from processed stones, resulting in a increase of 29,7%, comparing to the same period of 2001, when the Brazilian average was 21,4%. In that period Rio de Janeiro was responsible for 8,5% of the U$ 332,2 millions Brazilian stone exports, raising the State to the 3rd position as Brazilian exporter. In 2002, the processed stones were responsible for 65,8% of Brazilian exports while in the State of Rio de Janeiro, this number raised to 96,8%, confirming our calling to value added products.

This Catalogue displays a range of new stones able to attending part of the demand for raw materials by the processing plants in Rio de Janeiro, including natural stones that begin to be exported. As historical importance, the Catalogue contains traditional materials like Juparana and Black Tijuca granites, Brazilian reference stones in the past.

Wagner Granja Vícter
Secretary de Estado de Energia, da Indústria Naval e do Petróleo

• Granito Amarelo Itereré
• Granito Amarelo Toulon
• Granito Ás de Paus
• Granito Azul Guanabara
• Granito Branco Aperibé
• Granito Cinza Andorinha
• Granito Cinza Prata
• Granito Copacabana
• Granito Coral
• Granito Dourado
• Granito Floral Pádua Prata
• Granito Floral Pádua Rosa
• Granito Juparaná Clássico
• Granito Juparaná Gold
• Granito Juparaná Salmão
• Granito Preto Tijuca
• Granito Preto Toulon
• Granito Santa Cecília Light
• Granito Verde Barroco
• Granito Vermelho Toulon
• Mármore Branco Italva
• Mármore Cintilante
• Pedra Miracema Madeira
• Pedra Miracema Olho de Pombo
  

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

The publishing Rio de Janeiro Dimension Stones Catalogue was realized because of importants partnerships were established since 1999 between Government of the State of Rio de Janeiro, entrepreneurs and research supporting institutions. Department of Mineral Resources - DRM-RJ - was responsible for this Catalogue through a project executed with partnership of UERJ supported by FAPERJ/SECTI. ABIROCHAS and CETEM/MCT sponsored part of the technological characterization, supported by CNPq. The natural stones were tested by INT/MCT, in 1999, in the context of the RETECMIN project, supported by FAPERJ/FINEP. The results of the technological features of the traditional stones from Rio de Janeiro were assayed by IPT/SP and published in 1977 by DNPM/MME in the of "Marbles and Granites Profile". Other assays were lead for DRM-RJ by IPT/SP in 2002, with financial support by FAPERJ. Nonetheless, it is imperative to distinguish and to stand out the precious partnership that FIRJAN System, SENAI-DN, SIMAGRAN-RJ, SINDGNAISSES and SEBRAE-RJ have established with the Government of the State of Rio de Janeiro in encouraging and inciting Rio de Janeiro´s Dimension Stones sector.