Literally cut from the cooled lava flows of Mount Etna in Sicily, lavastone has captured the imagination of the architectural/design world as a geological raw material literally borne of fire before our eyes. As pure material, the variegated grain is enhanced through milling, carving and texturing, from rough to smooth finishes. And then, lavastone may be fired like a ceramic material, vastly expanding the possibilities for glazed surfaces. Using the uniquely dense Sicilian lavastone as a canvas, these Italian studios employ their ceramic skills to produce an exciting body of ‘open pattern’ works along with fully glazed architectural elements.