What you need to know about Italian Marble in India
Published on February 22, 2021.

The glossy and glamorous Italian marble is an enviable piece of rock in any space. Gleaming spans of these vibrant marble elevate the style factor of any room.

Italian marble is popular for good reason. Even artists like Donatello and Michelangelo used Statuario and Calacatta marble to create treasured art that is still standing today.

Those who want nothing short of the most luxurious interiors opt for Italian marble. However, the wide variety may overwhelm a layperson.

Here are the top 5 Italian marble varieties you can check out:

Top 5 Italian marble

If you want the best of the best, check out the top 5 Italian marble varieties.

1. Statuario

The superb bold texture and flawless finish are some of the most popular choices for the well-loved Italian marble. It is available in two popular variations: golden and white Statuario.

2. Botticino Crema

Elegant and classy, the Botticino Crema is a soft, distinguished marble that makes for charmingly clear surfaces. This beige Italian marble is a popular choice for flooring.

3. Perlato Sicilia

Characterized by an ivory base and enriched with discreet darker veins and small occlusions, the Italian Perlato Sicilia marble is great for luxurious and sombre interiors.

4. Calacatta Vagli

Patches of white in a web of soft gold, the Calacatta marble is like a piece of fluid art frozen in time.

5. Rosso Lavante

The stunning red marble with white veins running haywire creates an impressive image of a broken red mirror. This one is mostly used for décor or vanity tops.

Explore Italian Marble for Flooring

Now that you know the best Italian marble you can buy for your home, you may be wondering if Italian marble fits your bill.

Is Italian marble good for health?

As the quality marble slabs selected and processed by R K Marble are saturated with high quality epoxy resin, Italian marble makes for extremely hygienic surfaces. Furthermore, when cleaned properly, the smooth marble surface can keep away germs and micro-bacteria.

Read more: Marble or tiles: Which is better for health?

Does Italian marble crack?

Since Italian marble is soft, it is prone to scratches. Hence you should never drag heavy objects on an Italian marble floor.

The extremely soft material may develop prominent hairline cracks over a significant period of time.

But this can be avoided by maintaining it well. This is also why Italian marble is mostly used as decorative pieces such as on the walls, tabletops and flooring where traffic is limited.

How much does Italian marble cost?

Italian marble price ranges from Rs. 325 to Rs. 18000 per sq. ft. depending on a number of factors.

Read more: What affects the marble price?

Why Italian marble is expensive?

One of the reasons why Italian marble is thought to be superior comes simply from the rich stone working heritage of Italy. They were the first to streamline and perfect quarrying methods that are still used today.

However, there are many different varieties of marble quarried from across the globe that fare better than Italian marble in terms of qualities, strength, lustre and more.

This doesn’t mean location does not influence the strength and beauty of the marble. For example, marble that is made in areas where the limestone has a lot of impurities in it will be weak and brittle. On the other hand, marble that is made in areas where the natural conditions were adequate will be of high quality.

Italian marble is clearly the latter. That is why Italian marble costs more than the other types of marble. It is just one of the finest natural stones that money can buy. There are some great alternatives available in the market too.

Eventually, it’s not about the place as much as it is about the particular properties of the individual marble.

Does Italian marble need to be polished?

Yes, like all other marble, Italian marble also needs to be polished to bring out its brilliant shine.

Every kind of natural marble needs to be polished after installation.

If not Italian, then what type of marble should you choose?

Even though Italian marble is still quite popular, there are many better options available in the market now.

The marble quarried from the European and Mediterranean belt (Egypt, Greece, etc.) are rising in popularity. In fact, Egypt accounts for around 80% of the marble imported in India today.  Also, Greece is one of the first places to use marble for the construction of a variety of structures, from hand-held sculptures to massive pillars.

Here are some of the imported marble varieties you may check out as an alternative to Italian marble:

Possible alternatives to Italian marble for your home

Victoria Beige: This is a sober and elegant marble from Turkey that is used in construction.

Bianco Fusion: If you want to add some texture and character to your room, this marble is the best choice.

Flawless White: As the name suggests, it’s an attractive – almost sensual piece of pearly white marble.

Esparada: Red rivulets carving canyons through the rich grey rock makes for a striking piece of marble in any room.

Picasso Grey: Another brilliant marble quarried from Turkey, the Picasso Grey is a dazzling explosion of grey and beige.

The point is that the country of origin doesn’t really matter. What matters is the quality and the properties of the individual marble.

Explore different varieties of marble by quality rather than their country of origin before finally purchasing them. R K Marble welcomes you to the Experience One showroom to find the best marble for your needs.

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