Industrial News

Fossil stone is available in five luxurious ancient earth hues: Hezhra (gray), Kajal (black), Sijilmassa (terracotta brown), Bordeaux (red) and Chocolat (dark brown). All items in the 2006 Spring Collection can be viewed on the company’s website at www.MaisonSijilmassa.com. Showroom appointments can be made by calling 888-350-8588.

Tethys Sea Bath Designs is a line of nine sophisticated styles of single and double basins, and Vessel designs, with vanity counters, pedestal sinks, and bowl designs. Two hand-sculpted “sunken treasure” showcase dining table designs comprise the Ancient Oceans Dining Designs group. Four table and top styles complete the Accent Tables & Tops line. Kajal (black), Chocolat (dark brown), Sijilmassa (terracotta brown), Hezhra (gray), and Bordeaux (red) polished tiles measure 12 inches x 12 inches x 3/4 inch. Extra large polished slabs measure 10 feet x 5 feet.

ABOUT THE FOSSILS: ORTHOCERAS (Spears) & AMMONITES (Spirals)
Fossil stone, which polishes up to a shiny marble finish, is quarried from ancient seabeds of the prehistoric Paleo-Tethys and Tethys seas that existed between 65 and 450 million years ago in an area now occupied by the Sahara desert. The stone is characterized by the distinctive, visible and completely naturally occurring presence of fossilized pre-historic marine life forms, known as orthoceras and ammonites, throughout the stone. Within each color, the figures of orthoceras appear as rocket-, spaceship- or spear-like elongated cylindrical shapes. Ammonites can be identified by their circular spiral-esque forms.

CUSTOM HOME INSTALLATION HIGHLIGHTS
Maison Sijilmassa’s exotic Kajal (black) fossil stone tiles were revealed as the must-have dramatic floor surface in an exclusive 11,000 square foot East Hampton estate on Travel Channel’s “New York Luxury Homes” special. Kajal (black) floor tiles are the 500 square foot focal point of an $80,000 master bathing retreat in baseball card entrepreneur Dan Shedrick’s $12.5 million Further Lane Farm spec house, located in an exclusive oceanfront community inhabited by well-known neighbors such as Jerry & Jessica Seinfeld.

Oversized Kajal (black) slabs were fabricated into a large custom outdoor kitchen island and installed in the 11,000 square foot New American Castle Show Home, which is located in the Berkshires luxury resort region of southwest Massachusetts.

RECOGNITION
The Fossil Stone Ancient Seabed Collection from Maison Sijilmassa received a “Top 100 Building Products Award” from Building Products magazine, the “what’s hot” product source considered most valuable by industry professionals, by placing 57th out of a total 2,700 products reviewed for the award. Industry trackers and editors at Hanley-Wood Design Group publishers analyze trends and reader response rate to develop the most up-to-date decision-makers’ must-have product list each year.

Prior to receiving the “Top 100” award, Maison Sijilmassa’s Fossil Stone Ancient Seabed Collection received recognition as one of the industry's “Hot Stones” by Stone Magazine, the leading trade publication for specifiers, fabricators and suppliers of dimensional stone. It was one of only five stones hand-picked from around the globe for this annual distinction.

WHAT IN THE WORLD IS SIJILMASSA?
Sijilmassa (pronounced see-jill-moss-uh), a national historic site recognized by the Moroccan Ministry of Culture, is the old Berber capital of the Tafilalet Kingdom, an oasis region in the southeastern Sahara desert region of Morocco that was once a wealthy gold-trade-route city along the ancient Saharan caravan route between Tangier and the Niger River during the Middle Ages. The Roman ruins and Grand Mosque, the central feature of this medieval town, dates back to the 8th century. All architecture and fortified villages and forts located there are made of unbaked brick, which require continual maintenance to preserve. For additional information about efforts to preserve and restore the ancient ruins of Sijilmassa please go to the World Monument Fund Web site at http://wmf.org/. View a photograph of the Grand Mosque located there, at http://www.maisonsijilmassa.com/sijilmassa.htm

ABOUT MAISON SIJILMASSA
Maison Sijilmassa is an international New York- and Morocco-based direct importer/exporter that specializes in bringing their extraordinary Fossil Stone Ancient Seabed Collection, including seasonal home furnishings showcasing select fossil stone designs, to clients throughout the world.