This stone has been in production for years, and much of the curbing and paving in the major city of Catania are made from lava rock. Among the producers of this stone is Centro Lavorazione Pietra Lavica (CLPL) di Rapisarda Carmelo & C. s.n.c., which is located in Piano Tavola, Catania.
The stone has maintained the same light gray tone over the years, although the extraction methods have improved dramatically in recent time. As of 1999, explosives are no longer part of the extraction process at Rapisarda Carmelo. Instead, modern extraction machinery is used to free the stone from the earth in the form of massive boulders.