Calacatta Marble Types: Borghini, Gold, Paonazzo, Vagli, Macchia Vecchia, Viola, Michelangelo
What are the main types of Calacatta Marble?
Calacatta marble’s world is quite complicated as this quality comes from multiple quarries, all based in the area of Carrara, Italy. Every quality is extracted from different specific areas. We can distinguish these qualities in: Calacatta gold (very general label), Calacatta Paonazzo, Calacatta Borghini marble, Calacatta Bettogli, Calacatta Viola, Calacatta Macchia Vecchia, Calacatta Michelangelo, Calacatta Vagli Gold.
Calacatta marble, also known as Calacatta Marble Gold, stands out for its rarity and exclusivity. It falls into the range of the most expensive marble in the world; it’s a top-tier choice for interior design use due to its pure white base color and the captivating veins that swirl in shades of light grey, brown, gold, and sometimes even some rusty orange colored vein. This distinct combination makes Calacatta a valuable option for creating stunning kitchen countertops, captivating wall panels, breathtaking splashbacks, and luxurious bathrooms.
When it comes to designing a project with Calacatta, there’s a trend that’s becoming very popular between interior designers: the bookmatch patterning. This method works by joining two or more marble slabs from the same block to create a beautiful mirrored vein matching pattern. It’s a game-changer in the world of interior design as it creates visually stunning shapes on walls, floors and also countertops.
Getting deeper into the various types of Calacatta marble, here below will follow a detailed distinction between them:
Calacatta Borghini Marble: Slab Characteristics and price
It’s one of the King among Calacatta varieties, Borghini features a stunning clean white background color, It is characterized by bold, deep gray veining with occasional delicate gray feathered lines and hints of gold. This combination of colors creates a luxurious and unique appearance, making it a preferred choice for high-end interior design projects. Calacatta Borghini’s price ranges between $100 up to $300 per square foot or Euro 750 up to Euro 2000 per square meter. The price depends on factors such as quality, natural imperfections in the slab, dimension, thickness, and surface finish.
Calacatta Gold Marble: Slab Characteristics and price
The label ‘’Calacatta Gold’’ is a bit tricky as it can be used for many varieties of Calacatta Gold – This is more used as a commercial name rather than a specific type. It includes much marble under the Calacatta category that features honey-grey or gold-toned veins. Quarries like Borghini, Bettogli, or Vagli often produce these varieties. Calacatta gold marble price in slabs can be affected by multiple factors but on average it can go from $150 up to $350 per square foot or Euro 850 up to Euro 2200 per square meter.
Calacatta Vagli & Vagli Gold Marble: Slab Characteristics and price
The Vagli marble is Known for its busy intricate vein patterns that play with hues of gray or even brass-like gold, its striking aesthetics make it ideal for interior design objects like dining tables, coffee tables, and kitchen countertops. The base is milky white like most of the Calacatta varieties, when veining is honey gold the block is marked as Vagli Gold which is the most famous quality extracted from this quarry. Calacatta Vagli marble price in slabs can be affected by multiple factors but on average it can go from $80 up to $200 per square foot or Euro 650 up to Euro 1800 per square meter.
Calacatta Bettogli Marble: Slab Characteristics and price
Together with Borghini’s quality, this is the real king in the Calacatta realm. Calacatta Bettogli is usually slightly cleaner than Borghini showing less dramatic vein patterns and less rusty gold veining across the surface of the slab, Calacatta Bettogli predominantly displays a pure white base color with thick grey veins named by Italian quarry men as ‘’bastoni’’. Being Calacatta Bettogli marble, basically the most exclusive Calacatta, its price can change based on multiple factors: on average it can vary from $150 up to $300 per square foot or Euro 850 up to Euro 2000 per square meter. If you are looking to achieve the highest-end kitchen countertops, islands or walls & floors, Bettogli quality is your best bet.
Calacatta Paonazzo Marble: Slab Characteristics and price
Renowned for its elegant and unique characteristics, Calacatta Paonazzo features a pure white base with bold and dramatic vein patterns that often exhibit straighter lines/veins compared to other variations of Calacatta marble. What sets Calacatta Paonazzo apart is its striking vein colors, which can vary from light to dark black, along with flashes of red and rusty gold. These vibrant and pronounced veins create a captivating contrast against the white-colored base, making Calacatta Paonazzo a sought-after choice for high-end interior design projects. Calacatta Paonazzo marble price varies based on multiple factors: on average it starts from $80 up to $200 per square foot or Euro 650 up to Euro 1500 per square meter.
Calacatta Macchia Vecchia Marble: Slab Characteristics and price
This marble holds unique characteristics that set it apart within the range of Calacatta varieties. Known for its scarcity and beautiful appearance, Calacatta Macchia Vecchia shares some similarities with Calacatta Paonazzo but distinguishes itself with more pronounced and vibrant red and gold veining across its slab/block surface. Calacatta Macchia Vecchia’s strong and vivid veins stand out in contrast with the pure white base, creating an eye-catching and luxurious aesthetic. Interior designers often choose this marble due to the uniqueness of colored veining its surface shows, that’s why it is used in many applications like kitchen countertops, bathrooms, walls & floors. Its price is slightly higher than Paonazzo and it varies from $100 up to $250 per square foot or Euro 750 up to Euro 1600 per square meter.
Calacatta Viola Marble: Slab Characteristics and price
This marble is mainly extracted from ‘’Vagli quarry’’ and it’s characterized by brilliant and eye-catching reddish veins against a clean white background. This particular type of Calacatta marble has intense and busy veins that resemble the rich tones found in red wine, hence the name “Viola,” which means purple in Italian. The bold contrast between the strong purple tones and the pure white base gives Calacatta Viola a luxurious and distinctive look. Typically available in slab form, Calacatta Viola is sought after for its ability to make a bold statement in interior design applications like kitchen countertops, dining or coffee tables, bathrooms, walls & floors. Calacatta Viola’s price range is between $100 up to $200 per square foot or Euro 750 up to Euro 1400 per square meter.
Calacatta Michelangelo Marble: Slab Characteristics and price
This marble gained prominence and its name from the renowned artist Michelangelo, who used similar marble for his iconic sculptures. This marble diverges from all the other Calacatta varieties in its appearance. Calacatta Michelangelo typically displays subtle grey veins to no veins at all that blend into the white base color. The veining is usually much less visible compared to other Calacatta marbles, giving it an elegant and refined look. Despite its softer vein patterns, Calacatta Michelangelo maintains a sense of sophistication and timeless beauty. It is used for various interior design applications, including kitchen countertops, wall cladding, floors and bathrooms. Calacatta MIchelangelo price range between $100 up to $300 per square foot or Euro 750 up to Euro 1900 per square meter.
Given its limited availability, Calacatta marble is a rare jewel, and each mined block has unique features (not 2 blocks are the same, never), ensuring each piece is characterized by its own set of colors and vein patterns. Despite occasional natural imperfections like open veins or tears, modern techniques like resin treatment maintain the integrity of the block first and the slabs too. However, finding a slab without imperfections may come at a premium price.
Generally speaking of price, Calacatta or Calacatta gold slabs come with a high price, especially those with clean colorations and veining, and free from natural imperfections like yellow marks or rusty veins. Factors like veining patterns, quarry origins, thickness, and your supplier location, contribute to affecting the final price.
In conclusion, whether it’s the stunning Calacatta Borghini or the elegant Calacatta Viola that captured your heart, these marbles are sure to make a great piece of statement wherever they are used.
