It is the direction that the material is cut out of the quarry.
 |
| VEIN-CUT |
The Vein-cut process is when they cut the block along the grain, which will show the layers of sediments and contain a left to right veining.
 |
| Cross-cut |
The Cross-cut process is when they cut against the grain. It may contain veining, but will not look “striped”.