Calacatta Gold is best known for its white background and dramatic grey veining attributes. Calacatta gold marble is the go-to for any designer trying to capture a luxurious and elegant style. Originating from Italy, this rare and high-end marble has been around for centuries.
Italian Alps, known as Apuana, a region of Carrara, has many quarries that produce this variety of Italian marble. Quarries up in the mountains can be seen from the seaside.
Varieties of Calacatta Marble
These are some of the well-known commercial varieties. Some of the most well-known types are actually from the Statuary quarry. These have gold veins and are often sold as Calacatta.
Calacatta Gold, Statuario, Calacatta Cerviole, Calacatta Cremo, Calacatta Carrara. Betiogli quarry is one of the most popular ones. This quarry has a charming milky background with the right shade of warm beige gold veins. Some of the quarries have small holes, called taroli in Italian. These holes, which are part of the material, are filled with transparent epoxy. Most of the slabs of this material have big open veins that run from one end of the block to the other. A good quality block can cost upwards of $ 500,000 to a million dollars. These blocks yield almost a container of slabs ( approximately. 3000 square feet. )
Country Floors has taken this traditional marble and transformed it into two modern collections, Calacatta Gold Modern Polished and our latest Calacatta Gold Modern Honed. Instead of the conventional 1×1 or hexagon mosaics, Country Floors implemented a modernized version of mosaic and molding options. The two Calacatta marble collections are perfect for any project seeking that bold, sophisticated, and effortless show-stopping design. For example, new waterjet designs like arabesque are a new addition to more regular shapes. The ultimate placement for such beauty is typically for an entryway, countertop, backsplash, or wall-to-floor drama as well as many commercial spaces.
Available Sizes and Formats:
Tiles such as 12×12 and 12×24, slabs 2cm and. 3m, as well as many mosaics in square shapes, and rectangular shapes are some of the standard-size tiles. Pill-shaped tile or interlocking mosaic pieces are new popular formats. Due to the high variation of this material, larger tiles tend to have a dramatic veining that is random. Smaller tiles are easier to color, select, and achieve a more uniform color blend. Subway tile is one of the most popular shapes for kitchen backsplash areas and small bathrooms. Small-size tiles, made from broken tiles, with or without the bevel, are more affordable.
Some designers prefer a very uniform color selection, and this can only be achieved with smaller size tiles to achieve more. Larger sizes, such as 24×24 or 36×36, are cut from slabs, which makes it expensive. Small sizes are cut from regular block cutter sizes and yield a higher percentage of first-quality products. Luxury homes prefer to use 3 cm ( 1 1/4″) slabs for kitchen countertops.
Applications of Calacatta Gold Materials:
Office lobby walls with dramatic book-matching slabs are another popular use of this material. Large slabs that come in sheets as big as. 8’x12′ slabs are cut polished and book-matched. There are multiple ways of using these slabs in creating a perfect diamond shape, or a mirror image of the vein.
Calacatta Marble can be used on its own or in combination with other materials. For example, you can use honed tiles on the floor and use decorative ceramic on the wall. Kitchen countertops made with Calacatta Gold slabs can be accessorized by glazed tile or brick, or hexagon tiles. Reversely, you can use large hexagon tiles. 5″ or 10″ elongated hexagon tile on the floor and use a tile mural on the wall. Choices are purely a matter of personal preference. Using different types of tiles breaks up the pattern and makes your space more practical.
Is Calacatta Marble expensive?
Depending on the grade of it, it can be costly. The popularity of this marble and difficult quarry conditions make availability scarce. Is Calacatta marble more expensive than Carrara is a question we often get. Carrara marble has almost ten times the block availability, and that makes it more affordable.
Quartz producers wanted to jump on Calacatta fashion and came up with Calacatta Quartz. While it is practical, this material is human-made and does not compare to the real thing.
How can you tell good quality?
Good quality marble, including Calacatta marble, has to have a uniform background and evenly distributed veining. However, we must caution that beauty in natural stone is a subjective matter, and some pieces not desirable by many are considered exotic marble varieties.
Good marble pieces should have a well-calibrated and polished surface as well as perfect cutting. A good marble factory has a multiple-head polishing machine of at least. Sixteen heads, so that marble pieces are polished with an ideal shiny or honed surface. Marble has harder and softer spots, which is a natural occurrence. Naturally, you need to be able to apply different degrees of pressure to create a uniformly polished surface.
Installation Guideline:
Calacatta Marble has to be installed with a white thin-set and a good waterproofing material. We recommend dry laying all the tiles before installation, blending them, or choosing them according to your personal preference and installing them after. We also recommend a minimal grout joint like 1/16″ to allow for expansion of the floor. If you are installing them diagonally, you may want to have more waste calculated in your budget. Once your tiles are installed be sure to wait a while before sealing. When your tiles are wet, they may look darker but this will disappear as the floors dry up. Multiple coats of sealing are recommended.
Country Floors is an iconic brand that has always transcended the mediums of ceramic tile, glass tile, stone, and terracotta tile. A brand that is, first and foremost, a thought leader for the entire interior design art. Our showrooms across America, offer excellent design and service.