It has been a source of wealth as an economic and versatile building material since ancient Roman times (see Mines of Paris) and has contributed markedly to the unique visual appeal of the “City of Light”.

[1] In addition to Paris, the Lutetian limestone also extends north and eastwards through France, and has also been mined in areas such as Rheims, Laon and Soissons.

The stone comprises many of the grandest Paris buildings from the 17th century onwards, including parts of the Louvre, the Place de la Concorde, Les Invalides and the Arc de Triomphe Haussmann's grand renovation of Paris (1853–1870), which provided a sweeping and uniform style and an elusive coloring — ranging from bright white to butter-yellow to a dull nicotine-yellow/grey — for Paris, relied upon buildings faced with Lutetian limestone.

In the 20th century, open-cast quarries were developed north of Paris, which uncovered thinner layers of harder limestone closer to the surface.

In 2007, the quarries in southern Oise, around Saint-Maximin and Chantilly, applied to the French government to become the first to be granted a building stone Appellation Contrôlée – the badge of official French regional excellence – similar to the provenance system for wine or a cheese.