Mexican Beach Pebbles…from
China?
You might have noticed that Mexican beach pebbles are sold
by a variety of vendors. Very few are a direct
source mining pebbles on their own beaches like us. Most are U.S.-based stone resellers, large
home improvement behemoth stores, and of course – the Chinese sellers.
Pebbles offered by Chinese sellers are usually marketed
as “natural stone” or “natural Mexican beach pebbles.” They are typically very shiny and feature
striking colors: perfectly black, snow-white, translucent-looking yellow etc. They often have more uniform shape than the
regular pebbles. Even more importantly –
beach pebbles from China are offered at two to three times lower prices than
pebbles from other sellers. You might
see a Chinese seller offering black beach pebbles at $50.00/ton, while the
other vendors are selling theirs at $150.00/ton.
Why the difference?
Here’s the catch: the Chinese beach pebbles are NOT real, natural beach pebbles. They are NOT picked up at a beach. In fact, they are NOT even real pebbles.
Chinese beach pebbles: notice the perfect color and high shine (with wax coating)
Real Mexican beach pebbles: still very smooth but with more subdued, slightly varied color
Beach pebbles imported from China are machine-made (man-made
pebbles). They are manufactured by
taking a large slab of stone, smashing it, and then tumbling the crumbs until
the edges are smooth. For this reason, Chinese pebbles are always sold polished.
In comparison: true Mexican beach pebbles are picked up at the beach,
and they are available unpolished (but still smooth due to the natural wave
action) or polished.
In addition, Chinese beach pebbles are often coated with wax
to enhance shine and color. This is not
necessarily a bad thing. However, you
should find out what type of wax was used, and whether it’s safe to walk on
barefoot (if planning to use pebbles as ground covering). Another important question is - how long the
wax will last. While some waxes are
extremely durable, others might fade over time or at higher temperatures.
Our point is not that Chinese pebble stone is good or bad. But it is very different from natural Mexican
beach pebble made by Mother Nature. When
researching your landscaping stone, you should know the differences and
understand the product you are ordering. Are you going for a natural, elegant look? Is your project ultra-modern and sleek? Do you need pebbles you can walk on? Chances are, if you want smooth, chemical-free pebble stone that will
not change color and last forever, the real Mexican beach pebbles is the way to
go.
A few landscape / water feature projects using real beach pebble.
