TS EN 12440

TS EN 12440 addresses the criteria used to designate natural stone from raw material through to finished products. In the natural stone sector, correct denomination matters because it separates the stone’s geological identity, its commercial name and its processing stage; the same material can be presented differently as it moves from quarry block to manufactured product.

How denomination works in the natural stone field

The standard’s focus is consistent and intelligible naming. In general technical terms, natural stone may appear as blocks, slabs, tiles, cladding elements or other processed products. Denomination criteria help keep terms linked to origin, market usage and production stage from being mixed together. This creates a clearer relationship between the stone’s natural identity and the product name used in trade and documentation.

Why the scope matters in practice

The standard covers denomination from raw material to finished products, which makes it easier to understand how the same stone should be described at different points in the supply chain. That kind of terminology supports cataloguing, commercial communication, product classification and technical documentation. When the product name and the material description are aligned, the stone’s technical and commercial identity can be communicated more accurately.

• Helps distinguish raw material, semi-finished and finished stages.
• Supports consistency in commercial naming of natural stone.
• Reduces confusion between stone type and product form.
• Promotes shared terminology in technical documents and catalogues.