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Is this actual Italian Carrara Marble?

3 years ago

We’re renovating our kitchen and will be using honed carrara marble for the counters. I finally found a few slabs that I like. They have a flaw on one end so we will need 3 slabs. Our fabricator got me a quote for the material/fabrication and it seems really low. I was doing some reading and marble from other countries is sometimes passed off as Carrara Marble, and it can be hard to find records of where it was actually quarried. It sounds like the quality of it is not as good. I’m starting to doubt the origin of these slabs. Does this slab look like legit Carrara to you?

Featured Answer

mama goose_gw zn6OH

3 years ago

Carrara is marble. Carrera is a Porsche. Carrarra is nothing.

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Comments (6)

Aglitter
3 years ago
last modified: 3 years ago
Usually I am accustomed to seeing more white tones in Carrara. It's always possible as the quarry gets deeper in that the colors aren't as good in some places. Was there a reason you didn't want a marble-like quartz in the kitchen or a more durable marble like Danby? Bathroom locations would be better for this type of marble. If you do go forward, get a sample and do all the testing recommended like the scratch, stain, and etch tests. Then also ask for a discount based on the flaw in the one slab.
Shannon_WI
3 years ago
last modified: 3 years ago
“or a more durable marble like Danby”

Just to be clear, Danby will cost double or more what the slabs in the OP cost. I wanted to make sure the OP or other readers of this forum have a heads up on that before spending time sourcing Danby. As to durability, Danby etches the same way all marble etches, but it will not scratch the way other marbles do.
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Two different stone yards here in the UK and my extended Italian family have told me carrara is harder than the others. It's to do with the veins which are actually impurities ( well, different chemical compositions). The veins and darker areas are weaker. Carrara has more, pale white/ grey areas while calacatta has broader veins. The dark marbles with light veins are the opposite way round. The light veins are the stronger bit Within Carrara itself there are different grades c is a slightly cheaper grade but cuts better apparently. CD is more like crystals of compacted sugar. It can be crumbly. Cd has more defined veins out of the two and whiter white background All the above is literally to be taken with a pinch of salt though because if you want marble, you know what it's going to be like. The hassle at its fragility is for the fabricator to contend with. The only thing I'd say about being able to feel the veins on the leathered slab is you are exposing the weakest areas. And that will impact YOU on use. But again, us Marble types tend not to care about minor or major patina! btw, I'm getting Carrara! I'm quarter (less than!) Italian. Family actually from Carrara on paternal on grandads's side. The rellies still living over there , except one ( she wanted butchers block) all have Carrara. I keep asking for pics but the ones they send just don't show it in a good light at all. Tho there kitchens are rustic. Working kitchens. Not there to highlight a what is cheap stone in their region of Italy. They love it but it's purely a cheap, practical surface for them. Put my nerves to bed I'm telling you!
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megs1030
3 years ago
I think the only way to tell if it's Carrera is to test it. If the slab is flawed, like you mention, maybe the stoneyard will cut a piece off and you can test that to be sure? Otherwise, I'm not sure how'd you would determine what type of stone it is.
live_wire_oak
3 years ago
last modified: 3 years ago
Carrara is marble. Carrera is a Porsche.

Marble is marble. Calcium carbonate. It all tests the same. The only way to verify the source of the quarry is through import records. 95% of marble sold as Carrarra does not come from Carrarra, Italy. Some comes from other Italian quarries. Some comes from India. Most comes from China. The 5% that does, commands a premium and doesn’t show up in ordinary stone yards down the street. You can almost be assured that that is not from Carrarra, Italy. If that’s an issue? Be prepared to pay significantly more. But why is it an issue? If you like it, and it’s marble, buy it. Is a California Beaujolais that much inferior to a French one? What about one from Oregon? What about an Australian one?
live_wire_oak
3 years ago
And spell check hates both of them.

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