
Marble Varieties That Add Color to Your Home
If the pure white Venus De Milo and Statue of David are the first things that pop into your mind when you think of marble, you could be missing out on some beautiful tiling options for your home.
Marble can be found in most countries around the world, with the bulk of it being quarried in Spain, Italy, China and India. While the white varieties of marble remain the most popular, this beautiful, natural stone can be found in a surprising range of colors that you can choose to match your interior design palette.
Earth Hues
Marble can be found in a wide variety of earth tones that are more suitable than bright white for natural or rustic styles of decor.
- Bronze Armani: Harvested in Spain, Bonze Armani marble ranges in color from light brownish-grey to medium-dark brown. It has a sharp vein pattern that can vary from white to cream to gold.
- Crema Marfil: This Spanish marble is known for its uniform coloring and asymmetrical vein. This variety ranges from light beige to yellow to taupe, and the veins contrast with both light and dark colors.
- Fantasy Brown: Swirling with variegated browns, cream and white, Fantasy Brown is a thickly grained marble quarried in India. With sharp, contrasting colors, each slab is more unique than the last and has an almost wood-grain like finish.
- Spanish Grey: This taupe grey marble ranges from dark to light and features more even veining, which can vary from subtle to strong contrast.
Black
More reminiscent of granite than traditional marble, the black varieties can provide a dramatic effect when used alone or in conjunction with other tile colors.
- Emperador Dark Gold: One of several varieties of Spanish Emperador marble, this type ranges from dark brown to near black. The most stunning slabs have crackled, sharply contrasting veins of brown, white and gold against the black background.
- Negro Marquina: Quarried in the western Pyrenees of France and Spain, Negro Marquina is a cool black colored marble with white veins and white spots formed by shells and fossils trapped during its formation.
Grey
The more neutral tones of grey marble can darken or brighten a room’s decor without the intensifying effect that black and white have.
- Bardiglio: This Italian marble features long, flowing veins that shift from light to dark throughout the slab. Ranging from pale to deep grey, some varieties shine with bluish undertones.
- Gris Pulpis: Extracted from a limited number of quarries in Spain, Gris Pulpis can range from pale- to medium-brown to grey. The veins give it a vaguely irregular look, and white streaks add visual contrast.
White
If you love the traditional, elegant look of classic marble, you still have a choice to make, as all white marble isn’t the same.
- Calacatta: Calacatta is a rare Italian marble with sharply contrasting gold and grey veins against the white background. While it is quarried in the Carrara region of Italy, only a very small percentage of this marble has the evenness and quality of veining that makes it a true Calacatta.
- Carrara: The remainder of marble harvested from Carrara that doesn’t meet the Calacatta distinction is known simply as Carrara. It is a softer greyish-white, and its veining is linear and symmetrical with a fine, feathery grey grain.
- Statuario: Also mined exclusively in Italy, Statuario marble has a striking appearance with distinct gold and gray veins. Beautiful and rare, this is often the variety that most people view as traditional marble.
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Marble tile can create a feeling of warmth or provide a cooling effect, and its natural sophistication can upscale the look of your home. Mosaic Tile Outlet carries a variety of colors and patterns, ranging from classic to modern styles suitable for any application and any level of formality.