It's usually pretty, well, sandy coloured, but it can be paler or darker. The palest I've seen it at Whitesands bay near St. Davids in Pembrokeshire, which is pale, but not really white. For genuine white sand, as with black sand, you need a volcano. (Thera has both.) Sandstone buildings have the wonderful property, when clean, of looking as if they're carved out of madeira cake.
Marble is really white. And limestone, while generally grey, gets very pale. And there's that stone they have in the Weald, p, p, p-something, which is white.
People call stuff white sandstone all the time. Headstones, landscaping stone, etc. Here's a helping of science (http://fireplace.trinet.ca/fireplace.html) from a Canadian fireplace surround company with slight grammatical issues. (Prettier picture on the color sample page (http://fireplace.trinet.ca/stone-color.html).) Or, if you prefer your sandstone in a more natural setting, this is a pretty picture (http://mediusres.com/raven/photo.asp?pic=vfsilica). Honestly, I'd have more scientific references for you if only my internet connection weren't slowing to a grinding halt at the moment. (But you know how I am...say the word and give me 24-48 hours and I'll point you to everything you might want to know about sandstone color variations--and I'll do it at work and call it a reference transaction, so it's a win-win.)
Things I learned on the internet: Olympia, WA has "an imposing group of white sandstone capitol buildings." Both red and white sandstone are quarried near Mansfield, England. There's apparently some grand sandstone formation called the Great White Throne in Zion National Park that I can't find a decent picture of to save my live at the moment (see above re: grinding halt), although it's technically really light tan and just appears white in the sunlight from a distance.
Marble actually does some interesting thematic things for me which I will not go into, as they are not yet interesting to anybody but me. So I do not need more information on sandstone just at this time.
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momijizukamori
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Date: 2003-02-04 03:28 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2003-02-04 03:55 pm (UTC)Damn. I did want white sandstone. No. Wait. Ooh, marble's even better. View halloo!
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Date: 2003-02-04 04:10 pm (UTC)Marble is really white. And limestone, while generally grey, gets very pale. And there's that stone they have in the Weald, p, p, p-something, which is white.
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Date: 2003-02-05 05:24 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2003-02-04 04:12 pm (UTC)Things I learned on the internet: Olympia, WA has "an imposing group of white sandstone capitol buildings." Both red and white sandstone are quarried near Mansfield, England. There's apparently some grand sandstone formation called the Great White Throne in Zion National Park that I can't find a decent picture of to save my live at the moment (see above re: grinding halt), although it's technically really light tan and just appears white in the sunlight from a distance.
Of course, white marble is also beautiful.
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Date: 2003-02-04 08:22 pm (UTC)Thanks, Renenet.
Marble actually does some interesting thematic things for me which I will not go into, as they are not yet interesting to anybody but me. So I do not need more information on sandstone just at this time.