Stone Breakers in Brazil
Story & Photos © Ciro Coelho

In a battle between men and granite, fought with chisel, hammer and dynamite, there are no discernible winners. Yet the vanquished, like José Cirilo da Cruz, 32, who had his hand mutilated by the premature explosion of a rock, will carry the scars of the battle for life, along with the memories of a profession he can no longer practice.

On an island in Southeastern Brazil, a group of about 200 stonebreakers shares the local natural beauty with a population of affluent tourists who know little about their existence. These athletic men risk their well-being daily. Their ages are varied, from 20 to 55, but their birthplace is common, two thousand miles away.

Their job routine is risky and demolishing: they work 10 to 12 hour days. According to José Nunes do Nascimento, president of the Cooperativa dos Trabalhadores da Extração da Pedra de Santa Luz, "the stone breaker works until he's old or sick, and then he dies."