Small quarries, divided like farmland
According to the team’s notes, Rajasthan has around 3,000 quarries of different sizes. Most block-producing quarries cover less than 5 hectares, because land for extraction is divided in a way similar to farmland in Vietnam. Each quarry therefore chooses technology to suit its size rather than applying one standard model.
Two methods by quarry size
Large, concentrated quarries. Overburden is stripped across a wide area. Diamond wire saws, hydraulic jacks and excavators separate the blocks, and wheel loaders lift them onto trucks.
Smaller quarries. The same diamond wire saws, hydraulic jacks and excavators are used, but handling is done with a fixed three-leg derrick crane at the site. Equipment investment is lower, which suits quarries with limited area. You can also refer to our guide on “Natural Granite Patterns: How to Choose for Each Application” to compare technical suitability for your installation.
Three main stages at the quarry
- Opening the face. Survey and strip overburden to find a suitable position, often working from the top of the hill downward. This requires building an access road to the top.
- Cutting blocks. Drill guide holes, thread the wire and use saws to release large blocks, tens of metres high and wide and about 3 m thick. The blocks are toppled and then divided with lower-power saws to fit the gang saw, about 3 m × 2.5 m × 2 m.
- Handling and transport. Wheel loaders or fixed derricks lift the finished blocks onto trucks bound for the sawing plant.
What matters most: cutting along the grain
Each block should be cut along the grain and should keep a consistent pattern so that slabs can be matched. The direction of the drill holes for the wire is therefore important. The team found that hiring an adviser on drilling direction is a sensible cost if you want to get the most value from each block.
What could this mean for Vietnam?
From the visit, we believe the small-quarry approach is suitable for the first three to five years of a new project, as many small Indian quarries do. Once operations are stable, a gradual move to a larger scale can be considered. A foreign operator is already extracting certain granites in Vietnam with this technology on a large scale, which suggests that mechanised quarrying is beginning to take hold. You can also consult our technical reference on “Stone Slab Dimensions and Thickness Prior to Fabrication” for comprehensive engineering specifications.
Our takeaway
The trip was short, but combined with years of experience in granite and marble, it reinforced a view: slab quality starts with how stone is quarried and how blocks are selected, not only with final fabrication. Understanding origin helps us advise candidly on uniformity, pattern matching and the limits of each material. You can also consult our technical reference on “Natural Stone Surface Finishes: Technical Guide” for comprehensive engineering specifications.
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