Mallet SAS - where it all begins.

The Mallet company are located in Volvic France & have been established for more than 80 years. They are part of the Pyrolave Group & are responsible for extracting the blocks of lava from the Nugere crater & then slicing them up into scants for onward delivery to Pyrolave near Toulouse.

Mallet remain a manufacturer in their own right supplying slabs to numerous workshops & producing the natural lava tiles, building blocks, monuments & walling.

The Nugere crater at Volvic

The initial shaping of the blocks at the quarry

99% of blocks extracted are rectangular

Blocks from the quarry awaiting cutting

Part of the Mallet factory at Volvic in the heart of the Auvergne

It takes up to 24 hours to saw the blocks. The blades can be re-set to the required thickness

A stack of sawn blocks ready for trimming & despatch

Volvic lava is an ancient material

Its a traditional construction material

It can be worked by stonemasons

The black jewel - the cathedral at Clermont Ferrand built entirely of Volvic lava

The Nugere crater at Volvic

The initial shaping of the blocks at the quarry

99% of blocks extracted are rectangular

Blocks from the quarry awaiting cutting

Part of the Mallet factory at Volvic in the heart of the Auvergne

It takes up to 24 hours to saw the blocks. The blades can be re-set to the required thickness

A stack of sawn blocks ready for trimming & despatch

Volvic lava is an ancient material

Its a traditional construction material

It can be worked by stonemasons

The black jewel - the cathedral at Clermont Ferrand built entirely of Volvic lava