Abstract

Cited documents indicate that industrial production of building stones of the Hallandia gneiss from SW Sweden (Halland County) goes back to at least the 1850s when large quantities of paving stones were exported to Germany and Denmark. It is most likely that quarry operations have been going on for a much longer period, mostly for local needs.

The Hallandia gneiss is an aesthetically distinct gneiss unit characterized by multiple phases of deformation and veining at high-grade metamorphic conditions, unique with few, if any, equivalents in the world. Remnants of about 500 quarries (including small examples) have been documented in the area. The occurrence of Hallandia gneiss is limited to the coastal areas of SW Sweden where there are strong demands on the land for recreation and cultural heritage. The unique and restricted occurrence of the Hallandia gneiss to an area with strong competing interests of land use has resulted in severe concerns about the supply of this building stone material.

The need to safeguard a future supply of this rare stone type is urgent. This paper provides an outline of its unique geology, historic and present use, along with its technical and aesthetical properties.