Kamien

Kamień (unaccented as kamien) is the Polish word for stone or rock. It refers to solid, naturally occurring material composed of minerals, as well as to a piece of such material detached from a larger mass. In geology, architecture and construction, kamień denotes building stone and raw stone material. The term is also used in expressions such as kamień milowy (milestone) or kamień węgielny (cornerstone).

Natural stones vary in mineral composition, texture and durability. Common types used in construction and decoration include granit (granite), wapień (limestone), marmur (marble), piaskowiec (sandstone) and bazalt (basalt). These stones are quarried, cut and finished for use in facades, flooring, countertops and sculpture. The word kamień can also refer to loose stones collected for ornamental or practical purposes, such as garden elements or construction aggregates.

In jewelry the term kamień can denote a gemstone (kamień szlachetny), with specific stones such as diament (diamond), szafir (sapphire), rubin (ruby) and szmaragd (emerald) being common references. The unaccented form kamien appears primarily in non-Polish contexts or in proper names.

Toponymy and surnames: Kamień is a component of several place names in Poland. The best known is Kamień Pomorski, a town in the West Pomeranian Voivodeship. There are also smaller villages and settlements bearing the name Kamień, reflecting historical quarrying or stone-related features in the area.