What is the difference between Carrara marble grades C and Cd?

What is Carrara marble & what are the differences between its grades?


How does Carrara marble get its name and where is it found?

Originally quarried from the Apennine Mountains that dominate the northwest part of Italy, the Carrara marble originates from the city of Carrara in the Tuscany region, where the stone has been harvested for more than two thousand years.

Carrara marble quarry
carrara marble quarry extraction of blocks

There are currently about 270 operating quarries in all. Of these, more than half are in Carrara or its vicinity, approximately fifty are in Massa, and most are scattered amongst the villages in Massa comune (council). The marble industry employs more than 6,000 men and boys, and it provides all the livelihood for a population of about 75,000 in the Carrara area.

A study by experts has revealed a substantial amount of top-quality marble yet to be excavated under the mountains of marble in this region, indicating that Carrara will supply the present level of demand for its marble for centuries to come.

Carrara bianco C grade slabs
Truck loading of Carrara bianco C grade marble slabs 20mm thick (3/4”)

As a result of the strict guidelines and certifications, Carrara based quarries are now required to comply with multiple government regulations. These guidelines also result in eco-friendly manufacturing procedures such as eliminating the need for high levels of energy consumption as a result of improved technology.

*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.


What’s the difference between Carrara marble C and Cd grade?

White Carrara marble (or bianco carrara) comes in different shades of white, each of which can be differentiated by a grading scale; two of the most widely used grades are CD and C.

As a general rule, Carrara marble with a C grade has a light-colored background and a light vein pattern, whereas marble with a CD grade has a grey background and a darker vein pattern.

Carrara bianco C grade marble slab
Carrara white C grade marble slab 20mm thick (3/4”)
Carrara marble Cd grade
Slab of Carrara bianco CD grade 20mm thick (3/8”) polished finish

Because of its white coloring, carrara C grade marble is more expensive than CD grade marble, which is more suitable for projects that have a more limited budget.

Depending on the grade, thickness, color of the background and the pattern of the veins, tiles and slabs can vary greatly in price.In general, a polished slab of 20mm thick can cost between €70m2 (CD quality) and €180m2 (higher quality C), so the price can change dramatically as a result of the factors included above.

Carrara marble KItchen countertop
Carrara Marble KItchen countertop and kitchen island

Private clients, designers and contractors who need their product cut-to-size usually have a wide range of costs to consider, including the manufacture needed, as well as the amount of waste (offcuts) created

Today,  White Carrara C (or Bianco Carrara) has fast become the preferred stone choice among architects and designers. It can cover floors in residential buildings, or be used for kitchen countertops and fireplaces.

White Carrara marble tiles, both C and CD grade, can be found in a broad array of applications from hallways to bedrooms and lounges to bathrooms. They can also be used as special design elements for kitchen splashbacks, fireplace walls and shower areas.

Carrara White CD Marble Bathroom
Carrara bianco marble bathroom CD grade tiles 600 x 600 x 20mm (24”x 24” x 3/8”) polished finish
Carrara Bianco C Marble Bathroom
White Carrara Marble Bathroom C grade Tiles used for wall and floor 600 x 300 x 10 mm (24” x 12” x 3/8”) polished finish

The primary application of marble slabs relates to staircases, kitchen benchtops, bathroom vanities, and, more recently, the cladding of bathroom floors and walls.

In order to preserve the beauty and long lifespan of carrara marble, regular maintenance is a must. Cleaning the stone with warm water and PH-neutral soap or detergent is by far the safest and least abrasive method.

It is best to avoid using acidic cleaners such as vinegar and bleach which can negatively affect the stone and often result in irreversible damage.

Fact-Sheet-Carrara-statuario-calacatta-arabescato-marble-acemar
Use of Carrara Marble indoor & outdoor

*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.


Features of Carrara Marble Tiles and Slabs

1-Dimensions: Because each stone carries its own unique characteristics, sizes may vary based on availability. 

  •   Slabs Average dimensions vary between 3000 / 2500 mm in length  and  1500 / 1900 mm in height.
  •   Tiles Fixed dimensions 600 x 600 – 600 x 300 – 300 x 300 – 400 x 400 mm

2-Thickness: 

  • slabs 20 or 30mm thick
  • tiles 10 or 20mm thick

3-Surface finish:  

  • honed – polished- bush hammered – brushed – sand blasted
carrara marble tiles C grade
Carrara marble TIles C grade 600 x 300 (24”x 12”)


What’s the difference between Statuario and Calacatta marble?

What is Statuario marble & what are the differences with Calacatta marble?


What is Statuario marble?

statuario-marble-wall-bookmatch
Statuario marble bookmatch wall made by slabs 20mm thick (3/4”)

When it comes to prestigious marble that radiates luxury and elegance, you can’t get much better than Statuario marble. Together with Calacatta, it is considered one of the major white marbles due to its pristine quality and stunning aesthetic, this rare and exclusive stone has a characteristically bright white background with captivating grey veins throughout in patterns that are both striking and bold, as well as delicate and feathered. Statuario is the ideal marble for indoor applications such as reception counters, kitchen countertops and splashbacks, floor tiles and bathroom vanities; it can often be found in 5 star hotels and prestigious residential premises.

Bianco Statuario Marble slab
Stunning slab of bianco Statuario marble 20mm thick (3/4”) polished finish
Bianco Statuario marble slab close up
Bianco Statuario marble slab close up with white sheet

Statuario marble gets is name from its quarries of origin, the renowned quarries in the mountain region above Carrara of Italy, however, availability for Statuario is much more limited than other varieties and suppliers cannot keep up with the high demand, this makes Statuario one of the very most exclusive and sought after marble types in the world.

Kitchen with Statuario marble
Kitchen backsplash with Statuario marble

*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.


Types of Statuario

There are two main type of Statuario marble, the first and most prized variety is called “Bianco Statuario”, this marble is of the purest quality and can be totally milky white with some fading light veins or more classic bright white background with few big thick veins crossing the slabs called ‘’bastoni’’ in Italian, or tree branches. Due to its striking aesthetic this variety is often coveted for statement projects with the use of bookmatch patterning.

Bianco Statuario marble slab
Fantastic Bianco Statuario marble slab 20mm thick (3/4”) polished finish
Bianco Statuario marble slab close up
Bianco Statuario marble slab close up with hand

The second version is “Statuario Venato”, this variety has a bright white background making it the perfect canvas for its characteristic busy straight veins splashed across the slabs that are darker and more distinctive than those of Statuario Bianco . The light and dark contrast is truly unique and makes this particular marble ideal for projects in a well lit room, e.g. a countertop in a kitchen with lots of natural light or a statement piece in a bright bathroom.

Statuario Venato marble slab
Statuario Venato marble slab 20mm thick (3/4”) polished finish
Statuario Venato marble slab
Statuario Venato marble slab close up with hand

*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.


Pricing

When it comes to Statuario Bianco, there are a variety of factors that must be considered when determining the price of individual slabs, these include the white background colour, the lack of natural imperfections and the amount of veining. The whiter and cleaner the slab is and clear of natural imperfections, and the fewer the veins, the higher the price goes. Taking these factors into consideration as well as its rarity and general exquisite quality, Statuario Bianco slab prices generally run quite high compared to all other marble varieties, therefore the price for a slab can vary between €650 – €1900 per square meter. 

Statuario Extra
Amazing big polished slabs of statuario extra marble 20mm thick (3/4”)

Instead, the Statuario Venato quality is generally more affordable than its prized sibling and you can expect to find slabs ranging between €450 – €950 per square meter.  These slabs still hold with still a crisp white background color with much less natural imperfections than Calacatta for example, but the veining patterns are much busier and likened to that of many of the Calacatta varieties, and so the slabs are more affordable than Statuario Bianco.


Primary differences between Statuario Bianco and Calacatta marble 

It can be confidently said that together, Statuario Bianco and Calacatta represent the top bracket of most sought after and highest quality luxury marble in the world, both types are very expensive with Statuario taking top spot in terms of price. However, when we get down to it, the end decision of which marble you go with (if you can find it readily available), usually comes down to a matter of taste and which particular slab best suits your specific project, e.g. kitchen, reception countertop or statement bathroom.

bianco statuario
top quality slabs 20mm thick in bianco statuario

While both Calacatta and Statuario Bianco slabs can generally be found to the same dimensions and the same pure, crisp white background, there are some major differences that together can make a large distinction between the two varieties, these include vein colour and patterning, and natural imperfections.

Calacatta borghini marble slab exta quality
Beautiful slab ofCalacatta borghini marble exta quality
Calacatta borghini marble slab close up
Calacatta borghini marble slab close up

Calacatta typically can be found with a wide range of vein hues, including light to dark grey and blue, as well as the classic brass or gold tones that some of Calacatta marble varieties are famous for. This is important when you consider that Statuario is more monochromatic, so you will generally only find slabs that have light to dark grey veining with very limited colour variation and a lack of gold veins. Another big distinction is the pattern of the veins across the slabs; Calacatta typically has quite busy veining that is furiously splashed across the clean white slabs, whereas Statuario Bianco ideally will have a very limited number of sizeable grey “bastoni” or branches, crossing a bright white slab which give it its unique appearance, leaving the remainder of the slab largely free of veins. While this is not always the case, if you do find a slab that matches this description you can expect to pay a premium price.


The last major difference between the two is natural imperfections. While Calacatta marble is generally hailed as one of the most prestigious marble types in the world, it does often come with the odd natural tear, open vein or occasional natural yellow marking or stain within its composition. Luckily, modern measures are in place to ensure these inherent imperfections pose no threat to the integrity of the slabs. These days, Calacatta blocks are all resin treated and then cut into slabs, each slab is then individually treated with resin again and a net is placed at the bottom side of the slab to permanently maintain its composition. While most Calacatta slabs will have natural imperfections, Statuario Bianco on the other hand, is a more solid and compact marble, so it does not come with the occasional tear or open vein. However, due to the rarity and value of each slab, all Statuario blocks and slabs are still resin and net treated for added safety and assurance both to the supplier, and the lucky buyer.