Phyllite: 560 million years in the making

Phyllite is a type of metamorphic rock, that forms when shale is subjected to incredible heat and pressure for hundreds of millions of years underground. The resulting material is an outstanding natural stone that’s perfectly suited to roofing, flooring, cladding and much more.

Harder, denser and stronger than slate, or any of its other competitor materials, phyllite nevertheless splits easily during processing, and the mica particles on its surface give it an unmistakable ‘phyllitic sheen’.

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Phyllite thrives under pressure

Phyllite is the result of similar geological processes to the ones that produce other natural materials like slate – except phyllite undergoes even higher temperatures and greater pressures. That causes the clay present in the material to break down and form mica, which is responsible for phyllite’s satin-like lustre.

University of Bristol

University of Bristol

The finest phyllite, sourced from South America

Phyllite is extremely rare – much more so than slate. But at SSQ, we’re lucky enough to own one of the finest phyllite quarries in the world – San Luis, in La Repressa, Argentina.

It’s here that we source our exclusive Riverstone phyllite, put the extracted material through the most rigorous quality checks, before distributing the very best of it to customers all around the world.

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Testimonials

The choice of SSQ Del Carmen was made easier after confirmation that it had gained approval for use in the Welsh National Parks as an alternative to indigenous materials. We were also pleased with the level of technical, design and on-site support we received from SSQ.

The Hafod Renewal Office

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Case Study

SSQ’s exceptional slate contributes to award-nominated heritage restoration

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