Fireplace
Soapstone and granite around a fire — stone's natural home.
Fire and stone are old friends — the stone holds the heat and gives it back for hours. A soapstone stove or a granite surround turns a fire from a flicker into a heater that works all night.
Why stone
soapstone holds heat best, fireproof, non-porous granite tough, clean lines, takes the heat schist rustic face, for cottage surrounds
Building one
Cut the surround to the firebox, dry-stack to check the fit, then mortar and set. The lintel takes the load, so it's cut thick — a full 10 cm of stone above the opening, because that's where the crack would start.