There are several kinds of inkstones.

There are slate, phyllite, diabase, limestone, marble, ceramics, hornblende and so on. Slate and phyllite are suitable for end rocks, rivers and Jingxi. Diabase is suitable for Yan Tao; Limestone is suitable for HongLing inkstone and Surabaya inkstone; Marble is suitable for Songhua inkstone; Ceramics are suitable for Cheng Ni inkstone and Great Wall inkstone. To be exact, this inkstone is not an ore, but an ancient ceramic. Cornerstone is suitable for Duanyan inkstone, Sheyan inkstone and Jingxi Chrysanthemum inkstone. The mineral granularity and structure of inkstone is a sign to measure whether a rock can be used as inkstone. Only sedimentary rocks and metamorphic rocks with dense and moist texture, fine and sharp, moderate hardness and large thickness can be used as inkstones. If the inkstone has the above characteristics, it is more ideal to have beautiful layered, banded, nodular and star-shaped structures. Ink stone is developed with the development of pen and ink. Together with pen, ink and paper, it is a traditional Four Treasures of the Study in China and an essential tool for China's calligraphy. The earliest inkstone appeared. In the Han Dynasty, due to the invention of hand-made ink, ink can be directly ground on the inkstone, so inkstone began to develop, and there appeared copper inkstone, pottery inkstone, silver inkstone, Xu, wood tire lacquer sand inkstone and so on. The most prominent thing from the Six Dynasties to the Sui Dynasty was the appearance of porcelain inkstones. The Tang Dynasty was an important period for the development of inkstone, and two inkstones, Duanyan and Broken inkstone, appeared. During the Ming and Qing dynasties, the materials of inkstone were more abundant, and there appeared tile inkstone, iron inkstone, tin inkstone, jade inkstone, ivory inkstone and bamboo inkstone.