MIA releases iStone

Words: Garen Graves/Public/News/20120620131500-1.jpg" width="600" height="338" border="0" alt="The app presents images and technical information of over a 1,000 natural stones from around the world." />
The app presents images and technical information of over a 1,000 natural stones from around the world.
Marble Institute of America, the authoritative source for natural stone standards and education, and studiomarmo, the renowned Italian expert on natural stone graphic and web design, have announced the much anticipated release of iStone, a natural stone swatch application for the iPad that is available in the Apple App Store.

iStone is presented in a beautifully rendered 3D environment and was designed to take advantage of the high resolution screen and advanced capabilities of the iPad tablet. The app presents images and technical information on over 1,000 natural stones from around the world, including a search function that allows the user to filter by stone type, color, country of origin and more. Also included is the ability to view stones in 3D and bookmatch format, as well as, email capability to share images with clients, colleagues or friends.

Designers and architects alike will find the array of colors and information useful in the specification of natural stone. Natural stone professionals will use the app as a replacement for weighty and expensive sample stones or documents.

“The new iStone app is the perfect resource for natural stone professionals, interior designers and architects alike,” said Gary Distelhorst, MIA executive vice president and CEO. “The ability to carry around beautiful images and technical data for over a 1,000 natural stones inside a tool as useful as the iPad is an extraordinary advancement for people who specify or sell natural stone. We are just delighted with how this project turned out and thank studiomarmo for our ongoing partnership.”

MIA Vice President, Jim Hieb added, “anyone that has utilized the MIA’s popular Stone Swatch, Natural Stone Gallery, or Stone Box will agree that this is the next step in presenting that valuable information about natural stone.”

iStone joins MIA’s prior iPad offering, Stones of North America, in the Apple App Stone. To download the iStone app, go to the App Store and search “iStone”. The results will produce several iStone apps, but only one for the iPad. You can also visit www.istoneappforipad.com to learn more or download the application.
Five Truths About Final Brick Cleandown
May 2026

Not all truths are self-evident. Sometimes they’re easy to forget or clouded with misunderstanding. The good news is these truths of final cleandown are not hard to implement on your next project to ensure successfully cleaned and beautiful new brick.

Jake Boyer
MAP Partner
Read More
Shelf Angles and Their Impact on Wall Performance
May 2026

Shelf angles have long been a standard component in masonry construction. Installed at the slab edge, they provide support for brick veneer and are often treated as a routine detail. However, as building performance requirements evolve, particularly aroun

Erica Oliveraz
MAP Partner
Read More
The Mason’s Mark: Defining the Craft Through the Trowel
May 2026

Walk onto any job site, from a custom residential chimney to a sprawling commercial block wall, and you will hear it before you see it: the distinctive ring of high-carbon steel striking masonry. The trowel is more than just a mortar scoop; it is the cond

Mark Maleski
Technical Talks
Read More
Registration Now Open for the 2026 MCAA Midyear Meeting in San Antonio, Texas
May 2026

The Mason Contractors Association of America (MCAA) is thrilled to announce that registration is now open for the highly anticipated 2026 MCAA Midyear Meeting, set to take place in San Antonio, Texas. This exciting event is scheduled from September 13th-1

Industry News
Read More
Interested in working with us? Learn about and join the Masonry Alliance Program →