Rustic Gold Slate is quarried from a pit quarry in Markapur, India, in small, irregular pieces cleft on both sides of the stone. These flagstone-size pieces are transported to the factory where they are cut into three various sizes. After it is cut, the tile is split and the bottom is milled down to achieve a thickness close to 3/8". Millions of years ago, silt and mud from a river deposited soil at the mouth of a larger body of water, giving this stone its random color variation. Rustic Gold Slate is manually cut, resulting in a slight variation in size between tiles. Because of this, it is not recommended that it be installed with anything less than a 1/4" grout joint. Arizona Tile does not recommend that Rustic Gold Slate be installed in or near wet areas, such as showers or next to a swimming pool, because this stone has the potential to oxidize and rust. There will be noticeable variations in color and movement between pieces. Therefore, it is important and recommended that a range of this product be viewed before finalizing a purchase. As a natural stone product it is recommended that it be sealed to extend its longevity.