What about the possibility of a somewhat lighter compromise. I happen to know that the stone type that you would be using would be a bit lighter, but what if you went with a shield instead of a full suit of armor. I agree that there are some serious logistical problems with the armor. These could be remedied with a simple shield instead of a ful suit of armor. Also I have questions for later...of course.
Yes but a shield would be in one hand and can you imagine the weight it would have to be just to be effective. At least with full armor the weight would be spread out over everything versus being held in one hand. Then the person has to be strong enough to move the shield around for defensive purposes. No ceramic armor allows for more flexibility in design. It allows for simple armor for soldiers all the way up to carved/molded armor for the wealthy. It also chips which allows for the armor to still repair itself if I go that route. The ceramics just make more sense in the long run and if I choose I could include stone plates integrated into key areas to allow greater protection.
Stone is too dense and heavy to be practical for humans, unless it is set in a fantasy setting where either the stone armor is enchanted to make it more practical, or the entity wearing it is supernatural (Elemental Trolls, Demons, etc.). Take into consideration that some types of stone are more brittle than others.
