Italian marble is renowned for its golden standard in the luxury market. However, there are many other stones alike, such as porcelain, Chinese, and Turkish stones, flooding the stone market. In this article, let us know how to identify the original genuine Statuario marble and other Italian marble. 

Phase 1: Identifying Genuine Statuario Marble

Statuario marble is one of the most precious marbles in the marble world. It is quarried from the Carrara region. 

1. Check the “Background” Color: To know the marble is original, Statuario featured marble has a white background. If the base color looks greyish or yellowish and muddy. It is likely Carrara Gioia or lower-grade Calacatta marble. 
2. Analyze the Vein Pattern: Statuario marble has a dramatic vein pattern with thick grey veins, and the pattern provides an organic appeal and it is a non-repetitive vein pattern. 
3. The “Luster” Test: The statuario authenticity has a high volume of calcium carbonate and gives a natural luminosity. After polishing the marble, it gives a deep look and is translucent in the bright sunlight. 
4. Check for “Sugar” Texture: It looks like unpolished slabs, and original statuario has fine-grained structure that looks like sugar.
   

Phase 2: Identifying Genuine Italian Travertine

Travertine Italina marble is quarried from the Turkish region or the Iranian region. Travertine marble has high density and a premium mineral composition. 

1. Examine the Pore Structure: The travertine Italian marble has unique and uniform pits, and the holes are large or the stone is like a honeycomb. 
2. Verify the Color Palette: Italian marble is available in light cream to toasted walnut shades. They are rarely available in deep pink and orange hues.
   Italian varieties (like Roman Travertine) typically range from light cream to toasted walnut. They rarely have the jarring pink or deep orange hues found in some Middle Eastern varieties.
3. The Density and Weight Test: Italian travertine is renowned for its heavier and denser material, like ceramic. It gives a cold touch and, rather than clink, tapped with a metal object. 
4. Vein Cut vs. Cross Cut: The marble is sliced in such a way that the parallel stripes are clearly visible. The crosscut shows the cloudy pattern. Italian marble craftsmanship ensures following the natural veining pattern of the stone.
   

Conclusion

The authenticity of the marble requires a mix of visual inspection and technical inspection. It is necessary to provide a Certificate of Origin and Quarry Name. The limitation can just mimic the shade of the marble, but they can never duplicate the temperature, crystalline depth, and geological formation. The Italian marble originated from the Italian region. 

FAQs

• Q: Why is Italian Statuario so much more expensive than Carrara?
  • A: It is availability. Statuario is quarried in very limited quantities at high altitudes, whereas Carrara is more abundant.
• Q: Can I use Italian travertine in a shower?
  • A: Yes, but it must be “filled” with raisins and sealed to prevent water absorption.
• Q: Does genuine marble scratch easily?
  • A: Yes. Marble is a soft stone, and if a “marble” slab cannot be scratched by a steel blade, it is likely a quartzite or a synthetic material.