Limestone/Sandstone

["Anthony Marbella" <amarbella@xxxxxxxxxxx>]

Hi everyone,

I was wondering if anybody can tell me if there is a
surefire way to tell the difference between limestone
and sandstone just by looking. In other words, would I
know for sure if a particular piece of stone was
sandstone because of its gritty sandlike texture as well
as the layers that are usually formed by the settling
sediments? Or on the other hand would I be able to tell,
visually, if a particular piece of stone was limestone
because of a smoother more solid (no layering)
appearance? Is there color differentiation between the
two types?

I realize that these two types of stone are completely
different in their make up, however I want to be sure
that when I carve a piece of stone that I find that I
know whether or not it is sandstone so that I could take
the respiratory precautions that are inherent in dealing
with it. I live in Pennsylvania and both types of stone
are abundant here. I just need to now a simple field
test that I can perform so that I know what I'm getting
when I find a sizable stone in nature that calls out to
me to be carved.

Thank you,
Anthony Marbella