Buying Guide for Calacatta Marble
Michael Cohen
Natural Stone Supplier & Wholesaler. Marble, Quartzite, Granite, Travertine & Porcelain Slabs Specialist.
Often described as the ‘Ferrari of marbles’ due to its expensive price tag and undeniable beauty, Calacatta Marble is also rare. It is mined only in the Apuania mountain range of Carrara in Italy. And, because of this, it can easily be confused with Carrara marble – until, that is, you see both forms of marble together. Calacatta Marble boasts a pristine while background with distinctive dark and thick veining. The design of this veining tends to be unstructured and can range in colour from gold to brown and from beige to dark grey. The background of Carrara marble, in comparison, looks cloudy and the veining is lighter and more linear in design.? After it is quarried, the blocks of Calacatta marble are resin-treated and cut into slabs. At this point they are then treated with resin for a second time to maintain the pattern and the slab’s distinctive beauty. The word Calacatta is Greek for ‘to gleam and sparkle’ and that’s exactly what this luxurious-looking marble does – as we’re sure those who have already invested in it will testify. Certainly, it was the favourite stone of one of the world’s greatest stone carvers – none other than the great Venetian sculptor Michaelangelo.
Our buying guide includes the following information:
Where is Calacatta marble from?
The quarries in which the world famous Calacatta marble is mined can be found lying behind the town of Carrara in Northern Tuscany in Italy. Together with Massa and Montignoso, Carrara makes up the municipality of Apuania.
There are around 650 quarries in the Apuania mountain region – half of which have already been abandoned or extracted over the centuries. Calacatta Gold, Calacatta Borghini and Calacatta Macchia Vecchia are some of the more luxurious marbles mined in this area, but you’ll also find the less expensive (and also exquisite) Carrara marble, Bianco Venatino and Statuarietto.
It was the Romans who first began quarrying marble as far back as the early second century BC, using it for floors and the facings of buildings. Over the centuries the Apunania area changed hands many times, and, as the 20th century neared, it was regarded as a ‘hotbed of anarchism’ thanks to the marble workers and stone carvers fighting for a better living for themselves and their families.
Why is this marble so appealing?
Interior designers and architects appreciate the cool white background of Calacatta marble, the distinctive bold veins and the variety of colours these appear in. The thick and sparser veining of Calacatta also makes the slabs easier to match together, meaning it’s possible to get a larger design area where the slabs can be perfectly matched to complete an entire wall.
The fact the marble is only available from the quarries in Carrara also adds to its ‘exceptional’ and rare appeal, especially considering quantities are limited during the winter months. This is due to the harsh conditions in the area, when it is too dangerous to work or even access. And, of course, the rarer an item is, the more expensive it becomes. As such, Calacatta slabs are viewed as luxurious. You’ll only find them in high-end hotels or luxury homes, used as wall facings, flooring and as kitchen countertops.
How do I know it’s a good quality marble?
You can tell that a marble is good quality from how white the background is. The whiter the marble, the better the quality and more expensive the cost. You want a sharp whiteness, rather than a cloudy appearance (the like of which you will often find on some of the inferior marble types)....
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About Imperial Stone Group
Imperial Stone Group is a UK natural stone supplier and importer of the finest stone slabs from around the world. We specialise in natural stone and Italian marble in particular. We sell the following:
Please contact us if you have any stone slab requirements.
Director of Sales en Tekmarble
1 年Nice marle Michael. From Tekmarble Spain, Juan