Marble
Marble is a natural stone formed when limestone is transformed by heat and pressure; it is mostly calcite. Every slab is one of a kind.
Marble turns dull where acid touches it, so it is a material to choose knowing how it is looked after.
Stone guide · 26 stones
Stones used in furniture
We work with every stone on this page: where it comes from, how it looks and what to keep in mind. Every slab is different; we choose the stone for your project together.
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White
- Stone type
- Marble (calcitic)
- Origin
- Carrara, Apuan Alps, Tuscany, Italy
Bianco Carrara is the most widely quarried white marble of the Apuan Alps. Its ground is white with a cool, slightly blue-grey cast, crossed by fine, soft grey veins rather than bold streaks. The even pattern makes it easy to match across large surfaces, so it is common for dining and coffee table tops, console and sideboard tops, and turned bases. Like all calcitic marbles it etches on contact with acids such as lemon juice, wine or vinegar, so a sealed, honed or polished top still needs prompt wiping.
Photo: Lysippos, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons (cropped) · View image source
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White
- Stone type
- Marble (calcitic)
- Origin
- Apuan Alps (Carrara district), Tuscany, Italy
Statuario is quarried from the higher, lower-yield seams of the Apuan Alps and has a brighter, purer white ground than standard Carrara. The Venato grade carries bold, high-contrast grey veins, sometimes running in thick bands, so each slab reads as a distinct composition. Book-matched slabs are often used for statement dining tables, coffee tables and console tops where the veining can be seen in full. As a calcitic marble it is sensitive to acids and staining; sealing and coasters help keep a polished surface even.
Photo: Lysippos, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons (cropped) · View image source
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White
- Stone type
- Marble (calcitic)
- Origin
- Carrara, Apuan Alps, Tuscany, Italy
Statuarietto belongs to the Statuario family and is quarried in the Carrara basin, including the Monte Bettogli quarries. Its milky white ground is covered by a denser, more branched network of darker grey veins than Statuario, giving a lively, high-contrast surface. Because the pattern is busier and more uniform across the slab, it suits table tops, sideboard tops and bases where pieces must be cut from one slab without losing the look. It is a calcitic marble, so acids etch it and it benefits from sealing.
Photo: James St. John, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons (cropped) · View image source
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White
- Stone type
- Marble (calcitic)
- Origin
- Apuan Alps, Tuscany, Italy
Calacatta Gold, also sold as Calacatta Oro, is a white to ivory Apuan marble whose grey veins are warmed by ochre and golden tones; small pyrite inclusions can add a faint gold glint. Veining is usually broader and more open than in Carrara, so slab selection matters. It is used for dining and coffee table tops, consoles and sideboard tops where a warm white is wanted. Being calcitic, it etches with acids, and light-coloured slabs show stains readily, so sealing is advisable.
Photo: Stones slabs, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons (cropped) · View image source
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White
- Stone type
- Marble (calcitic)
- Origin
- Apuan Alps (Carrara and Monte Corchia), Tuscany, Italy
Arabescato is a white Apuan marble in which grey veins curl around pale, rounded patches, creating the arabesque-like pattern behind its name. Traces of green or burgundy sometimes appear in the veins. Variants are named after their quarry, such as Arabescato Corchia from Monte Corchia. The strong movement suits coffee tables, console tops and bases, and slabs are often book-matched for larger tops. As a calcitic marble it reacts with acids, so spills should be wiped promptly.
Photo: Lysippos, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons (cropped) · View image source
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White
- Stone type
- Dolomitic marble
- Origin
- Sivec, near Prilep, North Macedonia
Sivec is a fine-grained white dolomitic marble quarried near Prilep in North Macedonia. Its appeal lies in an even, bright white with very little veining and a uniform micro-granular texture, which has made it popular for sculpture and architectural cladding. In furniture it is used where a calm, nearly plain white surface is wanted: table tops, coffee tables, side tables and plinth-style bases. Plain white surfaces show stains clearly, so sealing and prompt cleaning of coffee, wine and oils are recommended.
Photo: Lysippos, CC BY-SA 2.0 de, via Wikimedia Commons (cropped) · View image source
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White
- Stone type
- Marble (crystalline)
- Origin
- Marmara Island, Balıkesir, Türkiye
Marmara White comes from Marmara Island, the source of the ancient Proconnesian marble used across the Roman and Byzantine world. It is a crystalline marble with an off-white ground and straight, parallel grey to dark grey lines; the direction of cut strongly changes how the striping appears. The linear pattern works well on rectangular dining tables, console and sideboard tops and on bases with clean geometry. It polishes well and has low water absorption, but like other calcite marbles it etches with acids.
Photo: Lysippos, CC BY-SA 2.0 de, via Wikimedia Commons (cropped) · View image source
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White
- Stone type
- Marble (calcitic)
- Origin
- Muğla province, Türkiye
Muğla White is a Turkish white marble from Muğla province in south-western Anatolia and one of the most widely produced white marbles in the country. It shows a white ground with light grey veins whose density varies from almost clean to clearly veined, so it is usually sorted into grades. It is a practical choice for dining and coffee table tops, console tops and bases where a classic white-and-grey look is wanted. As a calcitic marble it is acid-sensitive and benefits from sealing.
Photo: Lysippos, CC BY-SA 2.0 de, via Wikimedia Commons (cropped) · View image source
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White
- Stone type
- Marble (calcitic)
- Origin
- Milas, Muğla, Türkiye
Milas Lilac (Milas Leylak) is a Turkish marble from the Milas area of Muğla. Its white ground carries veins in lilac and purple shades, with some slabs showing more grey; the intensity of the colour varies from block to block, so selecting slabs in person is useful. The soft colour works on coffee tables, side tables, console tops and sideboard tops, often paired with brass or dark wood. As a calcitic marble it should be sealed and kept away from acidic spills.
Photo: Lysippos, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons (cropped) · View image source
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Grey
- Stone type
- Marble (calcitic)
- Origin
- Carrara, Apuan Alps, Tuscany, Italy
Bardiglio is a fine-grained grey calcite marble from the Apuan Alps, mainly the Carrara area. Its blue-grey ground is marked by darker grey bands and lighter, coarser-grained streaks, and stylolites are often visible. The cool, tonal colour makes it a calm alternative to white marbles and it combines well with them in two-tone pieces. Typical uses are dining and coffee table tops, console tops and bases. Like other calcitic marbles it etches with acids, although its colour hides light marks better than white.
Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons · View image source
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Grey
- Stone type
- Marble (crystalline)
- Origin
- Marmara Island, Balıkesir, Türkiye
Marmara Island marble is known for its straight, parallel grey to dark grey lines on a light ground; in the grey material these lines are denser and darker, giving the surface an overall grey tone. The linear pattern is very directional, so the cutting direction and slab layout should be planned before cutting table tops. It suits rectangular dining tables, console and sideboard tops and geometric bases. It takes a good polish and has low absorption, but as a calcite marble it is still sensitive to acids.
Photo: Lysippos, CC BY-SA 2.0 de, via Wikimedia Commons (cropped) · View image source
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Grey
- Stone type
- Marble (brecciated)
- Origin
- Türkiye
Salome is a Turkish marble with a grey to grey-green ground crossed by pink, rose and burgundy veins, white or cream fracture lines and irregular dark red patches, giving an overall muted lilac to purple tone. Some slabs read cooler and silvery, others warmer and pinker, so batch selection matters. Its broken, breccia-like pattern suits coffee and side tables, console tops and bases, where the colour can be seen at close range. Like other marbles it is acid-sensitive and benefits from sealing.
Photo: Lysippos, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons (cropped) · View image source
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Black
- Stone type
- Limestone (black calcareous stone, traded as marble)
- Origin
- Portovenere and Palmaria, La Spezia, Liguria, Italy
Portoro is a black calcareous stone from the Gulf of La Spezia, quarried on the Portovenere promontory and the islands of Palmaria and Tino since at least the 16th century. Its black ground is crossed by golden-yellow and white veins that give a strong, graphic contrast. Island quarrying ended in the early 1980s and supply is limited, so it is often used on smaller, prominent surfaces: coffee table and console tops, side tables and inlays. Being calcareous, it etches with acids, which shows clearly on a polished black surface.
Photo: Bodroza, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons (cropped) · View image source
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Black
- Stone type
- Marble (dark, traded as black)
- Origin
- Akşehir, Konya, Türkiye
Akşehir Black is a Turkish dark marble from the Akşehir area of Konya province. Turkish geological literature notes that stones sold as 'black' from this and similar Anatolian deposits are often very dark smoky grey rather than pure black, so samples should be compared before ordering. Its quiet, mostly unveined surface suits coffee and side table tops, console tops and bases, and it pairs well with light stones in contrasting pieces. Dark polished surfaces readily show acid etching and water marks.
Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons · View image source
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Beige & brown
- Stone type
- Limestone (traded as marble)
- Origin
- Monte Coto, Pinoso, Alicante, Spain
Crema Marfil is a cream-beige limestone, sold as marble, extracted mainly from Monte Coto in Pinoso, Alicante, where around twenty quarries operate. Tones run from light to darker cream, with grades ranging from almost clean to finely veined, some with small white spots or fossil traces. Its warm, even colour suits dining tables, coffee tables, console tops and bases in classic or warm-toned interiors. Porosity is low, but as a calcium carbonate stone it reacts with acids and should be sealed.
Photo: Lysippos, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons (cropped) · View image source
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Beige & brown
- Stone type
- Travertine
- Origin
- Tivoli, Lazio, Italy; also Denizli, Türkiye
Travertine is a limestone deposited from mineral-rich hot springs; the classic Roman stone comes from Tivoli near Rome, and Denizli is a major modern source. It has a layered, banded structure and characteristic pores and small cavities, in tones from ivory to beige and walnut. Cutting along or across the layers (vein cut or cross cut) changes the pattern. It is used for dining and coffee tables, consoles and solid bases. For tops, the holes are usually filled with resin or cement, and the stone is acid-sensitive.
Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons · View image source
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Beige & brown
- Stone type
- Dolomitic marble
- Origin
- Crevoladossola, Ossola valley, Piedmont, Italy
Palissandro is a fine-grained dolomitic marble from a single quarry district at Crevoladossola in the Ossola valley. Its folded, flowing veins come from phlogopite mica, and the quarry yields several commercial varieties: Classico has an ivory ground with light brown to grey veins, while Bluette and Blu Nuvolato show cooler blue-grey tones. The cloud-like movement suits dining and coffee table tops, consoles and sideboard tops. Its dolomite base reacts more slowly with acids than calcite marbles, but sealing is still advisable.
Photo: Lysippos, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons (cropped) · View image source
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Green
- Stone type
- Marble (cipollino type, mica/chlorite-bearing)
- Origin
- Styra-Karystos area, Euboea, Greece
This is the classic green cipollino of southern Euboea, quarried along the coast between Styra and Karystos and known to the Romans as marmor carystium or marmor styrium. Its whitish to pale green ground carries wavy, parallel green bands coloured by chlorite and mica, which give the layered, onion-like look behind the name cipollino. The banding is strongly directional and looks best on large surfaces such as dining and coffee table tops, consoles and sideboard tops. Its calcite base is acid-sensitive.
Photo: Lysippos, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons (cropped) · View image source
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Green
- Stone type
- Marble (cipollino type)
- Origin
- Apuan Alps and Versilia, Tuscany, Italy
Cipollino Apuano is the Italian counterpart of the ancient Greek cipollino, quarried in the Apuan Alps and Versilia. It shows a white to very pale green ground with wavy, parallel bands ranging from light to dark green; related Tuscan varieties include the striped Zebrino from Carrara. The flowing bands give movement to coffee table and console tops, sideboard tops and cylindrical bases, and book-matching can create mirrored patterns on larger tops. Like other cipollino marbles it is calcite-based and should be protected from acids.
Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons · View image source
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Green
- Stone type
- Serpentine marble (ophicarbonate)
- Origin
- Connemara, County Galway, Ireland
Connemara marble is an ophicarbonate of dolomite and calcite with varying serpentine, quarried mainly at Streamstown, Lissoughter and Ballynahinch in County Galway. Its pattern of interwoven light, deep and dark green bands, with white, sepia and occasional grey, varies strongly from piece to piece. Its lively pattern suits side and coffee table tops, console tops, inlays and accent panels, where the colour play can be seen up close. Its dolomite and calcite content makes it sensitive to acids, so tops should be sealed and spills wiped promptly.
Photo: James St. John, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons (cropped) · View image source
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Red & pink
- Stone type
- Serpentinite breccia (ophicalcite)
- Origin
- Levanto area, La Spezia, Liguria, Italy
Rosso Levanto is a Ligurian serpentinite breccia, traded as marble, in which wine-red to dark red fragments are cemented by a dense web of white calcite veins. The red comes from iron oxidised to hematite; in places the original serpentine green shows through. Its strong, irregular pattern suits coffee and side tables, console tops and bases, often with brass or dark wood. It is a relatively soft stone; slabs are commonly backed with fibreglass mesh and their cracks and pores filled with resin.
Photo: Graeme Bartlett, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons (cropped) · View image source
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Red & pink
- Stone type
- Nodular limestone (Rosso Ammonitico, traded as marble)
- Origin
- Valpolicella (Sant'Ambrogio), Verona, Italy
Rosso Verona, also called Rosso Ammonitico Veronese, is a Jurassic nodular limestone quarried mainly in the Valpolicella valley, around Sant'Ambrogio, north of Verona. Its colour ranges from pale pink to deep red, coloured by hematite, with a characteristic nodular texture and occasional ammonite fossils. Used since Roman times, including at the Verona Arena, it suits dining and coffee table tops, consoles and bases with a warm, historic character. As a limestone it is softer than many marbles and sensitive to acids.
Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons · View image source
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Red & pink
- Stone type
- Marble (calcitic)
- Origin
- Estremoz-Borba-Vila Viçosa, Alentejo, Portugal
Rosa Portogallo is a pink calcitic marble from the Estremoz Anticline in Alentejo, quarried in the triangle between Estremoz, Borba and Vila Viçosa. The pink ranges from light to dark, and grades run from clean, almost veinless material, the rarest, to stone with brown, green or bluish-grey veins. Its soft warm colour suits dining and coffee table tops, consoles and bases, especially with light woods and brass. Colour varies noticeably between slabs, so tops should be cut from one selected batch.
Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons · View image source
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Red & pink
- Stone type
- Marble
- Origin
- Vize, Kırklareli, Türkiye
Vize Pink is a pink marble quarried in the Vize district of Kırklareli, in the Thrace region of north-western Türkiye. Its ground shows pink tones whose depth and veining vary between blocks, so slabs are best selected from samples of the actual batch. The soft colour suits coffee and side tables, console tops and bases, and it combines well with white or grey stones. As a calcium carbonate stone it should be sealed and protected from acidic spills.
Photo: Lysippos, CC BY-SA 2.0 de, via Wikimedia Commons (cropped) · View image source
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Onyx & quartzite
- Stone type
- Onyx (banded calcite)
- Origin
- Türkiye
The onyx used in furniture is not the silica gemstone but banded calcite deposited from mineral-rich water, related to travertine. Red onyx shows red to orange bands and speckles that can glow when light passes through thin slabs, which is why it is often backlit. It is used for coffee table and side table tops, console tops and illuminated panels. It is much softer and more brittle than marble, scratches and etches easily, and slabs are usually resin-reinforced or mesh-backed.
Photo: Lysippos, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons (cropped) · View image source
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Onyx & quartzite
- Stone type
- Quartzite
- Origin
- Brazil
Taj Mahal is a Brazilian quartzite: a metamorphosed sandstone made mostly of quartz, with a marble-like look. Its creamy white to ivory ground carries soft amber and grey veining, and it can show a faint crystalline shimmer under light. Because quartz rates about 7 on the Mohs scale, it is much harder than marble and has very low etching risk, making it a practical choice for dining table tops and heavily used surfaces. The same hardness makes cutting, edging and drilling slower and more demanding.
Photo: James St. John, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons (cropped) · View image source
Surface photographs are from Wikimedia Commons, used under the licences chosen by their authors; photographer and licence are given in the details of each entry. Photographs are examples: in natural stone and wood every piece is different.
Key properties
| Property | Value |
|---|---|
| Hardness | Mohs 3 (granite is 6-7) |
| Density | About 2,700 kg/m³ |
| Weight of a top | About 54 kg per m² at 20 mm and about 81 kg per m² at 30 mm |
| Water absorption | Varies by stone; Carrara is 0.10% |
| Acid | Calcite reacts with acid: lemon, vinegar, wine, coffee and tomato dull the surface |
A stain and an etch are different things. A stain is a coloured liquid getting into the pores. An etch is acid dissolving a thin layer of the surface and leaving a dull patch.
Stones commonly used in furniture
| Stone | Origin | Look |
|---|---|---|
| Carrara | Tuscany, Italy | White to light grey ground, broken grey veining |
| Calacatta | Carrara area | Creamy white, thick grey to gold veins |
| Statuario | Carrara area | Bright white, bold grey veins |
| Nero Marquina | Basque Country, Spain | Black with white veins |
| Dark Emperador | Alicante and Murcia, Spain | Brown with beige veins; porous, usually resin-treated |
| Marmara white | Marmara Island, Türkiye | Off-white with straight grey veins |
| Afyon white and violet | Afyonkarahisar, Türkiye | White with soft grey or yellow veins; lilac-purple |
| Muğla white | Muğla, Türkiye | White with grey veins |
| Bursa beige | Bursa, Türkiye | Warm beige, cloudy, fine veins |
| Elazığ cherry | Elazığ, Türkiye | Deep red to burgundy with white calcite veins |
| Travertine | Denizli, Türkiye | Not a marble but a spring-water limestone; naturally porous |
Marble and its alternatives
| Material | Acid | Hardness | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| Marble | Etches | Mohs 3 | Veining runs through the stone; can be re-polished |
| Granite | Not affected | Mohs 6-7 | |
| Quartzite | Not affected | Mohs 7 | Marble is sometimes sold under the name quartzite |
| Travertine, onyx | Etch | Soft | |
| Porcelain, sintered stone | Not affected | Hard | Needs no sealing; the pattern is printed on the surface and a chip cannot be re-polished |
| Engineered quartz | Not affected | Mohs 7 | Contains resin; sensitive to high heat and UV light |
Choosing a surface finish
| Finish | Look | Etch marks | Scratches and oil |
|---|---|---|---|
| Polished | Mirror gloss | Most visible | |
| Honed | Satin | Less visible | Shows oil and dark liquids more easily |
| Brushed or leathered | Textured | Less visible | Hides scratches and water spots best |
The finish changes how visible a mark is. It does not change how the stone reacts to acid.
Sealing
A sealer does not make stone stain-proof; it makes it more stain-resistant. It does not prevent etching. To check it, put a drop of water on the surface: if the drop beads, the protection is still working; if the stone darkens within a few minutes, it is time to reseal.
Natural features are not defects
The veining and shade of every slab are different. A fissure is a natural separation along the crystal boundaries: a fingernail glides over it, and it rarely affects the strength of the stone. A crack comes from handling or fabrication, and a fingernail catches in it. In some marbles natural voids are filled during fabrication; this is standard practice.
Care
- Clean with a pH-neutral cleaner, or warm water and a few drops of washing-up liquid, and dry with a soft cloth.
- Put a coaster under every glass, above all with alcohol or citrus drinks.
- Put a trivet under hot dishes.
- Blot spills; do not wipe them across the surface.
- Repeat the water-drop test every few months.
Never use: lemon, vinegar, acidic or abrasive cleaners, scouring powder or cream.
Removing stains. For organic stains such as coffee or tea, use 12% hydrogen peroxide; for oil, detergent or acetone. A stubborn stain is drawn out with a poultice of absorbent powder left for 24 to 48 hours. A light etch can be removed with marble polishing powder; a deep one needs professional re-polishing.
Frequently asked questions
Does marble stain?
It can. Sealing makes it more resistant, not stain-proof.
Is marble practical for a dining table?
Yes, with coasters, trivets and spills blotted promptly. Expect some etching over time.
Polished or honed?
A polished surface shows acid marks more. A honed one shows them less, but shows oil more easily.
How heavy is a marble table top?
About 54 kg per square metre at 20 mm thick, and about 81 kg at 30 mm.
Marble or porcelain?
Porcelain needs no upkeep and is not affected by acid. Marble has veining that runs through the stone, and it can be repaired.
Is the line in the slab a crack?
Usually it is a fissure. If a fingernail does not catch in it, it is part of the natural structure.
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