The 17th Xiamen International Stone Fair was held in the Fujian province city of Xiamen from March 6 to 9. The fair displayed a range of upscale stone materials and artworks made of stones.

Over the past decade, the fair has grown in size and scope significantly with the international event spanning a vast number of geographies and cultures. This year's fair displayed the works of 2,000 exhibitors, 21 percent of them were making their first appearance at the fair.

The fair also hosts World Stone Congress, a series of exchanges and lectures that encourage critical interaction with the use of various stones in contemporary society. Highlights included an exploration by Zhang Yonghe, an award-winning architect, of the connections between architectural practices and contemporary culture and a talk by sculptor Darrel Petit on the importance of cooperation between artists and quarries.

However, despite the impressive expansion of the fair, the most eye-catching aspects remain the dazzling exhibitions of creative art works that use stone as a primary medium.

Here we take a look at some of the fair's most exciting displays.

One model wears a headdress made of stone. [Photo/xmnn.cn]

Stones can be carved into a myriad of shapes and forms as this exhibit, which takes the appearance of a wool sweater, shows. [Photo/xmnn.cn]