Stone characteristics: Not all stones are created equal!

Like people, no two stones are the same. The color of the stone depends on the chemicals that make up the calculus. Most stones are yellow or brown, but they can also appear to be tan, gold or black. Stone shapes can be round, jagged or branched. Stones can also vary in size as small as crystals and as large as a tangerine. There are different characteristic among different stone types. This chapter will discuss stone composition and differences in fragility, stone size and symptoms, stone location and ability to pass and other characteristics.