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Swabian oil slate is one of the very few indigenous stones which is processed by the furniture trade. In contrast to the ancient crystalline stones from the depths of the Earth’s crust, such as granite, quartzite and gneiss, oil slate belongs to the stone deposits of the Earth’s more recent history. During the Jurassic Age about 180 million years ago, when organic life on our planet was already 500 million years old, large swathes of today’s Europe lay under the Jurassic sea.
At that time, a layer of stone was created from petrified sea silt, interspersed with countless dead plants and animals, which, folding upwards, built up today’s low mountain region reaching from the Swiss over the Swabian and on to the Frankish Jura. At the northern edge of the Swabian and Frankish Alb, these oil slate deposits meet the present surface of the Earth and are mined in open-cast mines. The fascination of the fossilised testimony to an earlier period of life, such as the ammonites which are found in the few metres deep seam, gives this type of stone an edge on all others.
We process Swabian oil slate in two varieties:
- Natural cut, in the traditional coffee-brown colour of the slabs coming from the centre of the split seam.
- Natural split, in somewhat paler earth shades with numerous deposits of the tiniest shelled creatures, as found in the uppermost layers of the seam.
- If desired, we can set specially fossilised displays into the slabs, ammonites in various sizes.
General care instructions
- Thanks to their natural oil content, these stone slabs are especially easy care. Cleaning with a damp cloth suffices. These natural oils, however, have a tendency to evaporate over time. We therefore recommend regular treatment with Draenert Oil Slate Care. The tabletop will regain its rich brown tone. However, should an ammonite have been set into the top, please ensure that it does not come into contact with the cleaning agent as it could change its colour significantly.
- Oil slate is a relatively soft stone and can be easily scratched so please be careful with hard sharp objects.
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 Natural stone catalog
Product information about natural stones
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Product information about oil slate
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Product information about the slab pattern
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