Blame India and China for a woe of the marble world and you won’t be too far off the mark. The superpowers-to-be have been avidly mass producing low –quality stone in a bid to further feed their economies. That said, not all marble is cheap. Latin America’s Azul blue marble is estimated to cost an outstanding 1,000 USD per square metre. But why pay so much?
Our forefathers philosophically hint at the enduring benefits of the natural stone. A common Arab proverb suggests you ‘write bad things that are done to you in sand; but write the good things that have been done to you in marble.’ But that’s not the only incentive for fitting your home with the metamorphosed stone. Each type of marble, to the expert eye, can say a lot about your taste and how much you are willing to spend.
Expensive marbles are just that for several reasons relating to time and market dictates. Naturally, the harder, older and less available a slab of marble is, the more you’ll pay for it. It can sometimes take several days to precisely slice one single block. Also added to the final cost is the remoteness of the quarries. Companies will heavily invest in infrastructure in a bid to acquire the most exquisite stones and extract that from you. But it’s for the marble itself that you’ll be paying the bulk of the cost.
Look out for the veins and swirls associated with coloured marble which are mineral impurities such as sand, clay, silt or iron oxides. The quality of the same type of marble can vary dramatically from quarry to quarry and even region to region. Make sure you see the slab before you buy it as the same type of marble will look roughly the same, but patterns, veins even colours vary rendering one far superior to the other.
‘Bookmarking’ is the ultimate extravagance in marble and can be achieved when an evident vein or pattern is found in a block. These are then followed through the block, cut in exactly half and opened like a book. When the two slabs are placed side by side they produce a mirror-like effect which is nothing short of stunning. The price of ‘bookmarked’ marble can reach stratospheric levels – good thing, then, that it has a shelf-life of centuries.
Azul Blue
The most exclusive of all marbles, it is sourced from Brazil and Argentina. Only tiny quantities are extracted annually with prices exceeding 1,000 USD/square metre. The colour is a mind-boggling bright baby blue base with darker blue veins running through it. Variations include a predominantly white base with some baby blue hues and vivid blue/green veins.
Giallo Sienna
As the name suggests, it is sourced from Sienna in Italy. Due to quarries running low in the marble, the price has shot up to 450 USD/square metre in recent years. The colour is a striking yellow with orange/copper veins and patterns running through it.
Portoro Oro
Portoro Oro is sourced from South Africa and costs 350 USD/square metre. The colour is unusual in that the base is a gradation of black (from dark night black to light black grey). Through it run the most magnificent gold veins, sometimes taking on breathtaking patterns.
Contacts
KREIK Marble & Granite
Beirut, Lebanon
Tel + 961 1 300 164
Sun Italia (Marble & Granite)
Sharjah, UAE
Tel +9716 5343 379
