Why should you choose Carrara marble?
1. Origins
Carrara marble is a natural stone with more than 2000 years history since its extraction began in the stunning Apennine mountains located in the northwest part of Italy, specifically from the city of Carrara in the Tuscany region.
Marble is created when limestone (usually formed from algae, coral and shells) undergoes a metamorphosis when tectonic plates converge. The heat and pressure from this occurrence changes the composition of the rock, and over thousands of years crystals form giving the stone its undeniably stunning crystalline appearance. The close proximity of the Apennine mountains to the sea means that it’s an ideal location for producing some of the highest quality marble in the world.
Italian marble originates from a land where its history is highly ingrained in the country’s culture, as made evident by its use throughout the entire country, from north to south. It comes as no surprise that you can go to any village bar or modest family house and see counters, flooring, kitchens or bathrooms made of this material.
Carrara has been used in many famous architectural structures and Renaissance artworks such as The Pantheon in Rome, Marble Arch in London and the statue of David by Michelangelo and nowadays we can say that it’s use has played a big part in world history from a country which represents some of the biggest UNESCO heritage sites in the world.
*If you are a private client, contractor, architect, or designer, we can deliver to you wherever you are. All you need to do is find a stone fabricator or manufacturer in your area where we can deliver our product.
2. Made in Italy
The marble industry in Italy represents a large part of the workforce responsible for supporting many families in the Tuscany area alone. Quarrying and manufacturing processes have been refined, perfected and passed down over many years by generations of family members.
Whether you are looking for slabs, tiles or cut to size products like vanity tops, countertops and wall and floor tiles, you will find an end product that is processed by highly skilled artisans based all over the country.
From locating marble veins, to quarrying the blocks, to the manufacturing processes in the workshop, the combination of generations of knowledge and some of the world’s most advanced and precise cutting technology, results in final products with the highest end finishing details.
3. Price: It’s not always as expensive as you may think
White Carrara marble is available in different shades that are distinguished by use of a grading system; the 2 main grades are C and CD. Grade C marble exhibits a whitish background color with a light grey vein pattern, whereas CD grade marble has a more greyish background color and a darker vein pattern. Due to it’s white colouring, C grade marble is the more expensive of the two options with CD graded marble being suited for projects that require a more budget friendly option.
The price of tiles and slabs can considerably vary depending on the grade, dimensions, thickness, background color and the vein patterning. For example, the price of a 20mm thick polished slab can vary between €70m² (basic CD quality) and €180m² (C higher quality), so the price may change dramatically based on the factors mentioned above.
If you are a private client, designer or contractor then you may require your product to be cut-to-size, the cost would then also be determined by the manufacturing work required as well as the amount of wastage (off-cuts) created.
*If you are a private client, contractor, architect, or designer, we can deliver to you wherever you are. All you need to do is find a stone fabricator or manufacturer in your area where we can deliver our product.
4. It’s a green material
Marble is a natural, environmentally friendly product, which also brings with it a deep sense of nature.
In the past 15-20 years, the process of quarrying in Italy has improved enormously from an environmental perspective. Domestic quarries today are required to comply with rigid guidelines and certifications and are monitored by strict government entities. With these strict guidelines comes new eco friendly manufacturing procedures such as a lower energy consumption due to improved technology, as well as the installation of 100% recycled water systems that are used during the cutting process.
In addition to increased green practices, many old quarries have been and continue to be turned into parks, green areas, lakes and recreational areas.
Marble is 100% recyclable and these days fabricators use the manufacturing waste for other projects such as roadbeds. Recent advanced studies show a new method of using marble dust in cement to increase the strength and durability of the cement; if this becomes a successful practice, marble could become a zero waste product. It should also be noted that other common materials used for kitchen countertops such as quartz and ceramic require use of silicones or have a less eco friendly manufacturing process.
5. Durability and added property value
By default, Carrara marble significantly boosts the financial value to any property is it used in. This is due to its beauty, clean aesthetic and unique character that can transform any space from drab to elegant, modern and luxurious.
In addition to its property value boosting abilities, marble is surprisingly easy to maintain and just requires resealing every once in a while. There are various marble care tips out there but as long as you always keep in mind that it’s a natural product and can react to acids, food or drinks and treat accordingly, then all will be fine.
Marble is extremely durable so it will last as long as the building it’s added to (or even longer!). Instead, materials such as ceramic and porcelain may require changing every 5-10 years as new looks and a better range of products is added to the market.
6. It’s unique
Due to its natural creation and evolution, every piece of marble is unique; slabs originating from the same block will all exhibit slight changes in veining or color from the other slabs, resulting in every single slab and block being classified as one-of-a-kind. In a way, it feels like you own an original piece of artwork by nature.
When choosing your marble from Carrara, you can be confident that you are getting a highly sought after product that is also distinctly exclusive and owned by you.