Italian marble is quarried in Italy, and it’s known for its high luster and ability to change the house’s appeal completely. Like Indian marble and other types of marble, there are many types of Italian marble. The most common Italian marble countertops being:
Statuario marble
This marble features the same subtle gray hues you find in Carrara and gray veining common in Calacatta slabs. The stone’s unique feature is it has an extremely bright white color, which makes it highly valuable.
Statuario is heavily used in Italy in carving statues, but you can confidently use it in your home countertops. The bright white countertop looks extremely beautiful and will automatically change the appeal of the house.
Carrara marble
Carrara marble is one of the most popular marble countertops, and it’s characterized by a clean look and subtle gray hues. When you are in the store, you can tell Carrara marble by looking at the type of veining contrasted against a white/light gray background.
The veining is usually thin, linear, and feathery, so if you are interested in buying the marble and you don’t see this veining, it’s probably not Carrara.
Some of the best places to use this white marble are fireplaces, shower halls, backsplashes, and tile flooring.
Calacatta marble
This is a classic Italian marble that comes from a quarry in Carrara, Italy making it one of the most valuable and favored Italian countertops.
The stone has a warm white tone and contains a mixture of grey veins and gold that vary in size. You can practically use the stone anywhere. You can use it in fireplace surrounds, wall slabs, kitchen, bathroom countertops, and even large tiled floors.
Botticino marble
It’s Italy’s most notable marble countertops, and like other marbles, the stone features a distinctive appearance that is attractive to both designers and homeowners. The beauty of it is you can use it in a variety of ways. Some of these ways include:
As backsplashes: Since it has a unique appearance and complements beiges and browns, it’s an excellent stone to use in constructing kitchen backsplashes, especially in brown kitchens.
Vanity tops: Its distinct look gives a room a classic look and feel, making the stone an excellent choice for bathroom vanity tops.
Black marble Negro Marquina
It gets its name from Basque county quarries where it’s mined. It features irregular white veins concentrated to a lesser or greater extent by the slab you are installing.
The stone has dark black color and a more or less irregular background. Some stones have more white veins and irregular black color.
Taking care of your Italian marble countertops
Regardless of the type of marble you buy, you need to take good care of it. How do you do this? Here are tips on how to go about it:
Protect the countertops from stains
Since marble is highly porous, it tends to stain easily if you don’t take good care of it. To ensure it doesn’t stain, avoid placing materials that can stain it directly on the surface. This calls for you to avoid placing coffee, tea, juice, and other colored liquids on the countertops.
If you have to drink on the counters, always place the drinks on a pad.
When spills happen, move with haste and remove them before they get to the stone’s inner layers and become hard to get rid of.
You also should seal the countertops at the time of installation. For best results, let the sealing be done by experienced granite installers Rockville or other certified professionals.
