Marble is one of the most popular materials, both for home’s interior and exterior. For a space that is elegant and worthy of being shown to all, marble is always the best choice. 

In this article, we discuss the marble finishes that are most popular and appreciated by customers and industry professionals.

 The most popular marble finishes 

There are many different marble finishes, and each of them allows for a very particular and different result. Knowing how to recognize them can help you understand what you prefer and what most respects your tastes and needs. 

Here, however, is what is important to know before you start. First of all, each process corresponds to a different result, so in some cases you will get extremely different results-for example, a matte or glossy surface-while in others you may see some similarity.

Another thing to know concerns the use of processed marble: each result lends itself to certain uses, which are perfectly in line with its characteristics. 

Let us now take a look at the main marble processes and finishes.

Marble finishes smoothing

This process is reminiscent of polishing, but with one difference: the end result is a dull, porous surface, not a glossy one.

This finish is achieved with abrasive wheels equipped with increasing fineness, which allow the surface to be smooth but not as polished as polishing.

Marble bush-hammering

Consists of impact machining by which a sculpted surface can be obtained. Combining it with brushing results in a rustic-style marble slab. It is a material that can be used both as an anti-slip material and as an exterior cladding.

Marble polishing

Marble polishing is the most popular technique among end users and the most widely used. This popularity is due to the fact that this finish contributes to the proverbial beauty of marble slabs. It is thanks to this type of processing that marble releases all its elegance and light. 

The polished finish of marble is achieved by using gradually finer and finer abrasives, until the surface is able to reflect light and is perfectly smooth, emanating great luminosity.

Through this process, the marble’s pores tend to close, giving it greater protection from external agents.

Marble finishes brushing

Brushing marble allows for a worn surface, as if we were looking at an old slab that has been used before. The result? A marble with a history behind it.

This type of marble is achieved by using special abrasive brushes. which can be applied to the machinery used for polishing. The action of these brushes tends to intensify in places where the material is softer, resulting in an irregular, polished surface.

Flaming

Consists of a heat treatment using high temperatures. In this process a series of oxyhydrogen flames strike the outermost layer of the marble slab, causing its partial detachment. Following this initial thermal shock, rapid cooling with water is carried out, causing further detachment of small flakes. 

The flamed finish allows the marble to be used outdoors, thanks mainly to the non-slip surface that is created after processing.

Marble sandblasting

When sandblasting is done on marble, it gives its surface an anti-slip characteristic. This aspect makes it perfect for use both indoors and outdoors.

The process is very simple. A jet of water and sand hits the part to be treated with an adjustable speed, thus producing an even abrasion. At the end of the treatment, the marble is rough to the touch and slightly scratched.

Acid etching

In this finish, acids intervene on the surface of the marble slab, corroding it and creating an antique, rough-looking finish. Here the classic veining of the marble is brought out. 

It should be pointed out that this intervention cannot be carried out on all marbles, but only on the softer ones. In fact, the final effect is closely related to the hardness of the material itself.

MGS Italy: your marble experts

MGS is able to follow all relevant aspects of a project involving the use of natural stone: selection and supply of material-blocks, slabs, boulders, cut-to-size-, quality control, on-site measurement, design-thanks to the expertise of our dedicated technical department-, installation, pre- and post-laying surface treatment.

MGS makes flexibility one of its strengths. We offer services tailored to the client’s needs, following all stages of the realization of a project involving the use of natural stone or placing ourselves as the interlocutor only for certain phases of the concretization of your dreams: from the supply of the material slabs only, up to the design and realization of claddings, shower trays, kitchen tops, tables.

Discover all our services!

Today we want to introduce you to Vite Nove, a fascinating art exhibition for which we had the opportunity to be one of the sponsoring partners. We are really happy to have had the opportunity to sponsor such an expressive and elegantly nuanced event.  

Vite Nove: artistic vocation and the parallelism of one’s lives

The exhibition Vite Nove recalls, first of all, Dante’s Vita Nova, with a different meaning and nuance than the content connected to the love poetry of this literary masterpiece. 

Every artist who intimately lives his or her Art as a predestined vocation, builds in his or her creative achievement a true other life. A life that runs parallel to his daily existence. A kind of ideal dimension within which it is possible to express a rebirth, an inner renewal. It all contributes to approaching that pure Consciousness which is the ultimate goal of the earthly path. 

And this is precisely where the art exhibition Vite Nove (Nine Lives) fits in, highlighting the paths of two artists who are living a dual, augmented reality.

The first of these is a conventional life, while the second is dictated by deep and secret reasons. Over time these have become inescapable, necessary, suggested perhaps by that hypothetical Alter that inhabits the spiritual and psychic world. 

In the end each of us yearns and desires a new life, an inner space formed of crystal clear air and true light, where we can simply be ourselves. It is Milani’s out-of-time contaminations or Sandra Zeugna’s transnational scenes that support this exhortation within Nature and history, and at the same time outside of them, surrendering to very private dimensions guarded by the infinite reasons of the Heart.

The protagonists of Vite Nove

Sandra Zeugna

Sandra Zeugna was born in Trieste in 1958. She began her artistic activity as a self-taught artist, but later decided to attend two workshops of famous Trieste masters. Here a strong mutual artistic exchange takes place. 

She has participated in numerous group exhibitions, earning several awards and mentions. Among them, in 2005, at the “Premio Agazzi” of the Province of Bergamo, she received the 2nd prize with the silver medal of the Chamber of Deputies out of 950 works presented, in 2006 at the “International Drawing Prize” in Triste she was the winner out of 70 selected works. The artist has staged several solo exhibitions, including the Tartaglia Gallery in Rome, the A.P.T. Di Grado, Il Palazzo Veneziano in Malborghetto, the Galleria d’arte Contemporanea in Trieste, the Sant’Isaia Gallery in Bologna, and the L’Escale Gallery in Spilimbergo. She has also been a guest in various municipal venues and officially commissioned to set up a solo exhibition in conjunction with the 2003 Winter Universiade in Tarvisio. 

From 2005 to 2011, Sandra Zeugna was present at Arte Fiera Padova and Reggio Emilia. In 2018 she exhibited an anthological exhibition entitled “Ratio Dubii” at Spazio 212 in Bologna with the collaboration of Campogrande Concept. Also in 2018 she was a guest at the Palazzo Hercolani Bonora – AZIMUT Capital Management – Bologna. In 2019 she was a guest with a collection at the showroom of Poltrona Frau in Bologna. Since May 2020, in collaboration with Campogrande Concept she has been present with some works at the Torre Galfa in Milan. 

In September 2020, she set up an exhibition at the Palazzo Frisacco of the City of Tolmezzo, under the patronage of the Municipality of Tolmezzo, Eclipsis Style Project, Art-alive.eu and the Unesco Club of Udine.

Mauro Milani

Mauro Milani was born in Bologna in 1954. A graduate of the Academy of Fine Arts in Bologna, he lives and works in Porto Cervo. His polymateric works are part of private collections, cultural centers and public spaces. He has collaborated as a set designer for national and foreign companies. 

He is currently involved in artistic-architectural designs, creation of design artifacts, and creation of parks and gardens. Some of his projects have been realized in Porto Rotondo, Porto Cervo, Milan, Venice, Paris, Valencia, Moscow, Boston, Honolulu, and New York. 

His latest exhibitions were presented at Palazzo Pepoli Campogrande in Bologna, Castello Aragonese in Reggio Calabria, and Rocchetta Mattei in Grizzana Morandi. In 2019 he exhibited at the Quadreria di Palazzo Poggi Rossi Marsili in Bologna, and participated in the Napoli Moda Design event at the Contemporary House of Palazzo dei Congressi. Then, in 2020, he presented the event “De Speculi Natura” as a preview in Bologna. Later in Cividale del Friuli at the Monastery of Santa Maria in Valle, a UNESCO World Heritage site. He received the Lifetime Achievement Award given as part of the National Visual Arts Award organized by Eclipsis Style Project and Art Alive. 

In April 2021, the work “Possible Archaeologies” (2020) was acquired in the Permanent Heritage of the Auxilia Foundation Museum Collection at the Monastery of Santa Maria in Valle in Cividale del Friuli. In May 2021, the collection itself was officially recognized by ERPAC – Ente regionale per il patrimonio culturale – and included in the Regional Catalogue of Cultural Heritage of Friuli Venezia Giulia.

MGS Italy: always at the side of all forms of artistic beauty.

Titolo di intro

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Black marble is one of the most elegant and refined types of marble available. It is mainly used for wall and floor coverings and furnishings, and creates a strong stylistic impact due to its refined appearance, polished surface and distinctive veining.

In this article, we will take a closer look at the characteristics of black marble, how to use it to decorate your home, and how to keep it shiny and clean at all times.

Black marble: origin and variations

Black marble is obtained as a result of a particularly long and articulated natural process of sedimentary rocks.

Its dark color is due to the presence of many mineral elements, and it is enriched with distinctive reddish, gold or white veins. It is these minerals that mix together and create these unique effects.

To meet your every request, we at MGS Italy offer these variations of black marble:

• Arabescato Orobico Black; 
• Bianconero;
• Black Kafè;
• Nero Antico;
• Nero Levanto;
• Nero Marquina; 
• Nero Vintage; 
• Pietra Viva;
• Port Black Extra;
• Portoro Extra; 
• Sahara Noir;
• Silver Brown Wave.

Black marble: a choice of luxury and elegance

Black marble is a symbol of style, class and unbridled luxury, used in the creation of furniture accessories and to cover floors and walls.

The power of this type of marble is precisely to give a unique, elegant and sophisticated style to any room. The dark color makes it particularly bright and shiny, just like a mirror. The perfect material to enhance any detail.

Ideas and tips for decorating your home with black marble

Originally, black marble was used to cover floors and walls of luxury, or otherwise particularly large houses. Now black marble can also be used in kitchens, bedrooms, or for furnishings in any room and in any home. A precious detail within everyone’s reach.

So here are the best ideas for decorating your home using black marble.

Floor covering

Floor covering represents the main use of black marble. Covering the floor with this type of marble is a recommended choice for large finely furnished rooms, and for all those homes that aspire to become an example of extreme luxury.

Just as in the home where every single detail has value and makes a difference, as well as in a loft in a big city, black marble flooring embodies the essence of a cozy base where one can experiment with a wide variety of style ideas. Design, elegant, sophisticated or classic styles unfold to perfection thanks to the presence of black marble. In any case, our advice is to always maintain a certain sobriety in the decor, trying not to overindulge with contrasting combinations and very different colors. Black marble is perfect for clean, understated styles, even if they are very luxurious.

Kitchen

The use of black marble in the kitchen is one of the most practical and popular choices, despite the fact that it is still not a particularly popular solution. Being a material that is not afraid of wear and tear, where in an environment such as the kitchen it becomes a winning choice for flooring, backsplash or countertop. Black marble is well suited to minimal and designer environments, but it is also ideal for more rustic settings.

A winning combo in the kitchen is the combination of white doors and a marble top, especially if it features light veins that create continuity with the rest of the kitchen. If, on the other hand, you have a kitchen that opens onto the living and dining area, our advice is to use gray and beige, two softer colors that go better with the rest of the decor.

Bedroom

Using black marble in the bedroom can certainly be a risky choice, but one with great impact. In any case, it is always better not to exaggerate, especially if the room is not very spacious.

Our advice is to avoid using black marble for the floor in the sleeping area, but it is better to opt for furniture complements, such as a low coffee table.

Another solution that does not weigh down the room too much is the black marble wall behind the bed. To give balance to the room, leave the other walls white and choose textile elements – linens, rugs, curtains – in light colors.

Black marble furnitures

Black marble furnitures are particularly mesmerizing and fascinating.

Let’s take a few examples.
Black marble tables become the undisputed masters of any room, while the console table made of this material transforms the living room or entrance hall into an elegant oasis.

Remember that very often these are wooden structures, only covered in marble. If not, they would be very difficult and heavy to move or transport.

How to clean black marble

Black marble has so many advantages, such as giving luxury and elegance to any room. One of the very few disadvantages of black marble is its porosity: it absorbs liquids and can stain even irreversibly.

Therefore, home care and room selection are key aspects if you want to keep marble polished and perfectly shiny. To achieve a good polish, our advice is to use specific products, indicated for the treatment of this material. Alternatively, you can use a wool cloth, as it respects the marble and enhances its shine, avoiding creating any kind of scratch.

Need more ideas?
Browse through our projects.

Until recently, working exterior and interior marble substrates and slabs meant using exclusively old methodologies and techniques. Among the main ones we can mention polishing, bush-hammering, acid-etching, and sandblasting. These represent the classic techniques that are usually used to etch, mark and discolor marble. But in recent years, laser has overwhelmingly emerged as a refined marble engraving technique, mainly because of its countless benefits and advantages.

Today laser engraving is highly recommended for working with marble and engraving drawings, lettering and even photographs on it. It represents an especially suitable technique for engraving light and dark marbles. One can create decorative and home décor elements, create design objects and art objects, as well as customize tiles. 

So let’s see how this type of processing works and what are all the benefits related to it.  

How laser processing of marble works: tips and process

The laser processing of marble tends to whiten the color of its surface in order to reveal the white stone underneath. In this case, the marble is placed on the engraving table, causing the laser engraver to converge on the stone. For excellent results, 2-inch lenses are used for engraving. 

Before moving the marble off the table, it is also possible to examine the resulting image to see if it turns out to be sharp enough, possibly fine-tuning it for subsequent iterations. In any case, excessive strength should be avoided, as it contributes to a faded effect.

Usually the source used for engraving is the CO2 laser, which is ideal for creating very sharp and fine lettering and engraving, with resolution up to 1200 dpi. Laser engraving is able to penetrate marble a few millimeters, to make any decoration more vivid. In addition, the grooves created can also be filled with gold inks. 

Once the work is finished, any residual dust should be removed with a soft cloth.

How to: laser processing of marble

Marble laser engraving technology makes it possible to recreate, on slabs or substrates, decorations, textures for both outdoor and indoor use, fine lettering, logos for photographic companies and brands.

Thanks to the radio frequency laser with 1200-watt power, a marble operator is able to create unique and extraordinary effects on the working surface. Better results will also come from millimeter calculations of engraving spaces, proper use of excavation depths, and speed of execution in optimal production time.

Laser processing of marble: all the possible types of engraving

Thanks to the use of laser systems for marble processing, it is now possible to achieve engraving that is not only meticulous in every detail, but also long-lasting, weather resistant and does not fade over the years. 

Today many people are using the technique of laser engraving on marble, especially using Carrara marble. Indeed, this technology makes it possible to imprint lettering sharply, such as dates, names and commemorative phrases. All in an exceptional finish, characterized by a contrast that persists over time.

With laser processing of marble, it is also possible to personalize stones, tiles, bricks or any other solid, natural and organic surface. Any architect, gardener, builder, company, or retail store can take advantage of this type of technique to add value to their outdoor furniture or interior design.

Laser processing of marble: all the benefits

In general, the processing of marble without direct contact – as is the case with laser engraving – can greatly decrease the risk of accidental breakage of the marble itself. We know how this risk is a far from rare occurrence during marble engraving carried out through classical techniques.

Laser engraving also offers the possibility of being able to process different materials without the need to replace the machine. This is a great point in favor of laser machines for engraving marble, since the problem of tool wear, as is the case with contact processing, is completely eliminated.

Whenever a craftsman, skilled worker or marble worker works marble using traditional contact methods, they are forced to apply – and subsequently remove – a tool from the slab or block of marble being worked. They are therefore operating machinery that if not handled with care can be very dangerous. 

Laser engraving then offers additional advantages: 

Give your creativity free rein 

The easiness of use of the marble laser engraving machine allows for numerous types of decorations, designs and effects. Moreover, thanks to special software, they can later be reproduced in series at great speed

Maximum precision and increased detail finishing 

Marble laser engraving allows for the highest quality definition. In addition, a photograph with different shades of gray can also be printed on the marble surface – in this case, however, the surface must be fairly smooth. The speed of execution also promotes optimal production costs.

Increasing safety and control 

The fact that during laser processing of marble no waste materials-such as dust-are generated and remain suspended in the air, and that it does not require the use of dangerous tools, makes the operator’s work much safer than with classic processing techniques.

Energy savings and low environmental impact

Both from the point of view of energy consumption and the disposal of production waste, laser engraving on marble is perfect! 

Unlike classical processing, this technology does not require a large energy input to run the machine.

Moreover, the only processing waste produced by the laser is smoke and dust, thus bringing a big advantage from an ecological point of view as well. In fact, the laser has no processing waste, and the smoke produced – if properly filtered – can be released into the air.

Marble, the embodiment par excellence of refinement. Wood, an explosion of warmth. The combination of these two elements gives uniqueness and elegance to any environment. Today, marble has managed to free itself from a certain allure of solemnity and is reappropriating the spaces of the house to be simply experienced. Wood makes the atmosphere fragrant and warm.

In this article, we will reveal the secrets to combine marble and wood, and make the design of your spaces unique and elegant.

Matching marble and wood: the rule of 3 colors

Marble and wood are noble and natural materials. Both are available in different colors and types, so they can easily fit together within any environment. The result is a solid and elegant space – as long as the combination of the two materials is well thought out.

In order to get the ideal marble and wood combination, you must first follow the 3-color rule, that is, establish a palette of 3 colors to be used for the furniture – you can also possibly choose a fourth color for the details. This first approach is fundamental, since the colors of the furniture will drag the various colors of marble and wood towards themselves.

Of the three colors you’ve chosen, two of them should pick up on the main tones of the marble and wood, while the third color can also contrast – albeit slightly, for example by opting for a lighter or darker shade. Finally, to avoid too many chromatic stimuli, our advice is to choose fabrics and furniture of the three chosen colors.

Let’s take an example.
With a Calacatta marble, which has veins on the gray, the recommended color combination will be natural wood, white, gray, taupe or dark gray. If, on the other hand, you have opted for a dark marble with white nuances, the ideal will be a wood with medium or dark tones, white, black and metals to give shine. With a marble of warm and neutral colors you can use black, white, warm woods of medium tones and neutral colors.

How to combine marble and wood in the kitchen

In the kitchen, these two materials fit any style, from modern to more rustic decor. Generally, marble is used as a coating of the worktop and for the splashback. For more original solutions, we recommend that you consider these solutions:

• marble inlays on wood or vice versa;
• a kitchen top in wood on marble.

If you have an open kitchenette facing the living room, you could use marble and parquet for the floor together: the parquet hosts the table and the matching chairs, while the marble part hosts the kitchen furniture and the appliances. If there are small differences in thickness between the two types of floors, these can easily be compensated for through separating profiles – usually made of metal -, available in various finishes.

Bathroom: elegance and shine

Wood and marble have the great advantage of complementing each other excellently. This combination gives the possibility to create a special light even inside the bathroom, to make it perfect both functionally and aesthetically.

Marble lends itself very well to flooring, sanitary ware, sinks and bathtubs, being naturally water resistant and ideal for easy maintenance. Thanks to its aesthetic characteristics, this material allows you to add a luxurious and elegant touch to your bathroom.

Many design projects combine marble items with wooden cabinets and shelves. This choice allows you to achieve a unique and diverse look, but also to have enough space to store all kinds of objects. In the bathroom, for example, you can combine dark wood and light marble – such as white Carrara – or a wood of neutral shades with a more colorful marble. For houses with minimal and modern design, the combinations with black marble are very bold, but unparalleled luxury. With wood, on the other hand, you can create beautiful showers to recreate the environment of a spa.

Using marble and wood in the bathroom means making the most of the charm of these two materials, which with their refined beauty are able to create suggestive and cozy atmospheres.

Marble and wood in the living room: how to combine them

In the living room, a marble floor contributes to give the environment prestige and elegance. If you have a spacious living room, dark or black marble is ideal, especially for a modern or classic minimalist style home, where mirrors and natural light produce fascinating plays of light. Dark marble perfectly matches with light wood – painted or natural -, of structures of armchairs and sofas, tables, chairs and fixtures. With a light marble floor in beige or white tones, it is instead appropriate to choose classic furniture in warm shades or dark wood.

In the living room, the combination of wood and marble can also be used on a single element, such as a table with a marble top and a wooden structure. The opposite composition, i.e. a table with a sculptural marble base and a wooden top characterized by well-defined veins, is also very popular.

Another solution to combine these two materials in the living room is the mixed floor, which helps to create a very sophisticated environment. For a modern style, the floor can be furnished with a mixed floor of light-colored parquet and marble. In order to have a living room with a light and unique style, we recommend alternating tiles and strips of gray oak wood. Usually or for a floor of this type is used a prefinished wood parquet, which thanks to industrial treatments can resist very well to scratches, stains and mold.Whatever the style of your decor, the combination of marble and wood will only enhance it!

Is marble an inaccessible material and so difficult to use? Absolutely not: more and more architects and designers are using marble in their interior and exterior design projects.

What are the advantages? And why is it being used more and more?

Here are all its secrets!

Marble: a timeless beauty

Marble has always been associated with famous sculptures of the past and great architectural works. A study has shown that more than 50% of people tend to associate marble with famous monuments – about 27.3% – or with staircases or floors of great buildings – about 24.3%. This only goes to show how the prevailing idea is that marble is used in large-scale works.

Despite the fact that consumers are increasingly interested in the theme of furnishing, there are still few who really know the potential of marble, thinking that it is difficult – if not impossible – to maintain it at its best.

In reality this is not the case at all! The important thing is to choose the right stone for the various uses, so that it can be used in any environment. This is because marble is a durable and robust material, able to give any room in the house a natural feel.

Architects, designers and marble: a perfect match

Nowadays to defend the great value of marble are architects and designers, who tend to choose this valuable material in their projects.

We must never forget that stone represents thousands of years of history. Italy today needs to rediscover its origins also thanks to the use of a material that it knows and can manage very well. In this world of great development and competition, marble represents a brave as well as elegant choice.

The knowledge and mastery of these elements allows architects and designers to elaborate projects by choosing the most suitable stone for the clients’ requests, for the different environments of the house and for the different uses of it in the houses.

In addition to preserving the traditions and techniques of stone processing, thanks to processes of experimentation and innovation, in recent years it has been possible to develop new finishes, to find new innovative possibilities both in terms of technology and expression.

For us, true Architecture must be composed of few elements, but natural, just like stone and marble, which has the advantage of not needing extraordinary attention. It is beautiful, and remains so forever.

Why marble is the ideal choice for architects and designers

Marble is particularly appreciated for its intrinsic beauty and elegance. Moreover, it is akin to different processes that are able to extrapolate from the same type of marble multiple aesthetic yields. Once extracted from the quarry, the marble is supplied in flat slabs, which can vary from a minimum thickness of 1 cm to a maximum of 30 cm. In this way it can be easily worked and subsequently used as a finishing element. Marble can be used both as a wall covering and for flooring. In addition, thanks to many specific treatments, it is also used to make coatings for fireplaces and kitchen tops.

Among the techniques most used by architects and designers for the most sophisticated projects, there is that of inlays. Thanks to special machinery is in fact possible to intervene on the slabs to create unique inlays, so that through the combination of different types of marble are formed decorations and images. Generally, these processes are made on design and chosen in sizes and colors. The possibility of customization makes this processing very interesting for those who want to obtain original and unique products.

Thanks to these innovative processes, marble can actually become the protagonist of new uses and be inserted in many areas. Through the machinery for trimming and the applied technologies, it is possible to give marble new shapes, enhancing projects and ideas of architects and designers. They are the first ones to rely blindly on the use of this natural stone for finishes, walls, floors, wide hallways and bathrooms, giving every environment a shiny, natural and majestic effect.

The advantages of this extraordinary natural stone

Why, as an architect and designer, should you consider using this material in your projects?

It is part of an ancient tradition

Marble processing is particularly well-known in Italy. For this reason, buying and using a product created with this material means bringing a piece of typical Italian tradition into your everyday life.

It is created to resist

With proper care, marble can last a lifetime. This translates into the fact that the purchase of a product made with marble offers a long-term guarantee that can excite those who observe it as if it were always the first time.

It is splendid and elegant

Marble is one of the most beautiful materials on Earth. It is no coincidence that it has been used many times to create some of the most famous works of art in the world.

It is bathed in light

All the works worked with this natural stone are able to capture the sunlight, going to reflect it in a picturesque way on all the environments of garden or home. All this helps to create sensational and beautiful play of light.

Goes with everything

Thanks to its innate beauty and elegance, you can combine marble in any context. The use of marble is always a good idea, both in terms of design and utility.

Discover our materioteque

Whether in modern buildings or in old houses, in public places or in private homes, you will very rarely notice the absence of natural stones in a room.

In fact, they have always been used both outdoors and indoors and play the multifaceted role of building materials and decorative elements of value.

Natural stones, however, are not all the same. Each of them has its own characteristics that respond to certain functions and needs.

In this article, we will discuss precisely the most widely used natural stones and their specific characteristics.

Marble: a noble material that comes from afar

Marble is a material that has always been used in the construction of both public and private buildings.

It is a rock of metamorphic origin, composed mainly of calcium carbonate and characterized by a very fine grain.  Marble is among the most prestigious and most widely used materials since ancient times. Ancient Greece, for example, was the protagonist of some of the most beautiful marble monuments ever made, such as the temples of the Acropolis of Athens in the fifth century BC.

What characterizes this extraordinary natural stone is the low refractive index of calcite, of which it is largely composed, which allows light to pass through the surface of the stone, giving the marble a special luminosity.

Travertine: another great classic of architecture

Travertine is among the most classic materials used in architecture, so much so that in ancient times the Romans made it the undisputed protagonist of the monuments of Rome. Perhaps not everyone knows, in fact, that the Romans extracted millions of cubic meters of travertine: records show that the front of the quarry in Tivoli was more than two kilometers wide!

Travertine is a sedimentary rock, formed as a result of deposits of carbonate rocks over time. Its structure is irregular and contains vacuoles that lend themselves to grouting, depending on the finish you want to achieve.

What characterizes travertine is its strength and versatility as well as its resistance to external agents: it is, in fact, a natural stone perfect for both indoor and outdoor solutions and in high humidity environments such as bathrooms and kitchens.

Granite: hardness and beauty in a single stone

Everyone knows the saying “as hard as granite”. But is this really the most important characteristic of this rock?

Granite is a volcanic rock of intrusive origin; this means that it was formed by magmatic material that cooled and solidified in the earth’s crust. It is mainly formed by silicates; this is the reason for its hardness, definitely higher than that of marble and travertine.

Its name, however, derives from its granular structure. Among its most significant characteristics, in fact, we must mention its insensitivity to acids and water, which makes it the ideal material for kitchen worktops.

There are also granites of different colors: white granite, for example, is present in large quantities in Italy and is characterized by a compact texture and, sometimes, with streaks tending to gray. Black granite, on the other hand, is a natural stone extracted in South Africa whose color makes it perfect for interior coverings and luxury bathrooms.

Quartzite: for those who can’t decide between marble and granite

Quartzite is a metamorphic stone, formed when sand is heated and compressed within the earth.

It is a natural stone that stands out above all for its resistance to abrasion and attacks from external agents such as pollution and temperature changes.

Often quartzite is confused with quartz: the latter, however, is composed of oxygen and silicon and can be defined as a crystalline rock and not metamorphic.

Marble, travertine, granite and quartzite: our materioteque

We at MGS Italy have made natural stone the heart of our business. For us, natural stone means uniqueness: each block is irreplicable, whether granite, marble, quartzite or travertine, each slab has its own identity, its own fingerprint.

From the quarry to the environment in which it is placed, natural stone has the power to make the places it inhabits unrepeatable.

MGS srl puts all its experience at the service of the customer, like an open book; a landscape made up of an incredible variety of materials and colors from which the customer can draw, shaping illustrious, emotional, incomparable environments that fully reflect his own aesthetic sense for a unique marble project.

Discover our materioteque

Used for millions of years, marble has brought to light unique mottling, colors and luster. In particular, Italian marble is a natural and unique material that can enhance any environment. Italy is, in fact, among the countries that export the most marble in the world and is everywhere considered to be of the highest quality. Pietra di Trani, Portoro, Rosso Verona, Bardiglio, Calacatta and Bianco di Carrara are just some of the marbles for which Italy is known throughout the world. 

Italian marble is then universally considered synonymous with elegance, purity and luxury, so much so that it is seen as an international status symbol for the interior cladding of boutiques, hotels and residences. The association of Italian marble with the concept of luxury is mainly due to its exceptional finesse and quality. 

Precisely for these reasons, Italian marble is still today the stone most loved by designers, architects and artists. In this in-depth study we will see some examples of how Italian marble has been used in the world of art in general and how it is still able to arouse charm and beauty.   

Marble in Italy

Italians have always been considered masters of marble quarrying and processing. 

Thanks to its particular luster, its mottling, its color and the possibility of working it in many different ways, marble is a material that has always been loved by designers, architects and artists.

However, there are many historical materials still in production and used in representative churches and monuments. A first example is Jasper marble, a red marble of Sicilian origin and very valuable. Sumptuous and elegant, for centuries it has been used to adorn royal palaces, religious buildings and cathedrals. The peculiarity of this marble is represented by its surface and the explosion of bright and vivid colors. To further embellish the Red Jasper are the white veins that run across its surface, highlighting even more the multitude of colors.

Another example is Brèche de Vendôme. This type of marble is characterized by a beautiful mixture of colorful colors among which we find golden yellow, dark green, black and dark red. Thanks also to the use of innovative techniques, this special breccia takes on a brilliant polish. Brèche de Vendôme has been widely used in France, especially to embellish some of the most beautiful churches and palaces of Paris. Today it is mainly indicated for the realization of interior coverings when the objective is to have fantastic chromatic effects in front of the eyes.

As a last example it is right to talk about Irish green, a marble characterized by unique green tones, non-uniform coloring and shades ranging from dark to light. This stone was mainly used by Renaissance architects in order to flood palaces with magnificent works with shades of forests and fields. Even today those same works are admired by tourists from all over the world. The Irish Green, thanks to its variegated veins, allows to realize new geometries, making every project absolutely unique and unrepeatable. 

Florence Cathedral: a unique floor 

One of the perhaps lesser-known wonders of Florence Cathedral is its floor, which is a unique example in terms of variety of design, richness, materials and dimensions. 

Its history is particularly long and complex. Since the first years of his reign – and for the whole of its duration – the first Grand Duke Cosimo I promoted some important works of renovation of the Cathedral of Santa Maria del Fiore. The works did not aim at a radical transformation, but at covering the building with a new skin. What before was an austere aspect of the Cathedral, gave way to a rich polychromy of statues, plastic decorations of wall paintings but above all of marbles. In this building site – which lasted several years – a central role in the project was played by the renovation of the floor, which included the replacement of the old terracotta with a carpet of marble inlays with a geometric design.

Michelangelo and his relationship with Carrara  

Although he didn’t leave any work in Carrara, Michelangelo Buonarroti had always a very close relationship with the town, so that he stayed there several times to visit the quarries frequently in order to personally choose the marbles that would have given life to his works. 

In the collective imagination Michelangelo and Carrara are seen as two entities strictly and indissolubly linked together. Moreover, for quarrymen the possibility to have the artist close meant to deal with an exceptional customer, especially because the quantities he ordered were always very large – which should not be surprising given the greatness of the artistic enterprises he was called to accomplish.

Bernini: a story of creative freedom

Gian Lorenzo Bernini is undoubtedly the artist who, more than anyone else, managed to change not only the face of Rome, but also the art of his time. Among his most famous works are Apollo and Daphne, Aeneas and Anchises and the bust of Paul V at the Borghese. 

Bernini was a well-rounded artist: architect, painter, sculptor and also set designer. When he was only eight years old he began to handle the chisel, when he made a small head of a cherub. However, a few years were enough to win the esteem of the most powerful lords of the continent.

That of Gian Lorenzo Bernini is nothing but a story of creative freedom and passions. That same freedom will allow him to touch the highest peaks of art history, giving posterity real masterpieces of incredible beauty and relevance.

Today we are telling you a story. This story is about a collaboration that has given rise to an important project that has as its protagonists beautiful marble and the Eternal City, Rome. Not only: we want to tell you about our passion for what we do, but also tell you how the encounter between different realities can give life to a maximum expression of beauty. 

Our participation in the realization of W Rome was greeted with great enthusiasm because a project of this caliber and international level has given us the opportunity to create innovative interior design finishes and to create unique and personalized pieces of furniture. 

W Rome: the WorldWide hotel of Marriott International 

Imagine yourself inside the rooms of the W Rome, sipping an aperitif on the terrace overlooking the main streets of the capital. You’ve walked down Via Condotti and Via del Corso, taken souvenir photos in front of the Trevi Fountain, and now you’re sitting here relaxing, while under your fingertips you can feel the smooth marble of the bar. The magnificent city of Rome, which never sleeps, is all around you.

The W Rome hotel is located just a few steps from the magnificent Spanish Steps and is developed in the historic buildings of Via Liguria. These residential structures were already renowned locations used for corporate or ministerial meetings. The restoration work was aimed at creating 159 spacious hotel rooms, exceptional suites and more: spaces for business events, two renowned restaurants and a gym and spa for the care of body and mind. 

The Marriott International group aims at excellence: for this reason it has chosen not only one of the most beautiful cities in the world to build a super comfortable luxury hotel, but has also chosen to enhance the W Rome through the work of 100% Made in Italy companies appreciated throughout the Italian territory, creating an entire system of high prestige and quality of which we are proud to have taken part. 

The exclusive location of W Rome was therefore the pretext to give life to an exceptional interior design that blends perfectly with the exclusive exteriors of one of the busiest and most central areas of Rome. And we are an integral part of this story.

The W Rome project from our point of view

When we got the confirmation of the W Rome project, we visited the studios of Mayer Architects in the city of Los Angeles. Our trip to the city of stars was a source of inspiration, so much so that it was during this meeting that we determined the materials to be used. 

Then, in collaboration with the professionals at Gili Creations, we created the first sample, a combination of our love for marble with fine wood.

In 2020 we started the first deliveries and we realized for the Marriott International group and the W Rome hotel several custom design elements, from conception to realization we carried out several works together with valid professionals and designers of great caliber. 

Fine marble counters 

Marble adapts perfectly to different surfaces, whether floors or tables, but not only. It is a material of intrinsic beauty, an indissoluble synonym of harmony and purity. For this project, we created marble counters that are the result of a wonderful mix of Super White marble, purple Calacatta marble and Rosso Levanto Turco. Three shades of color, from pure white to warm and enveloping red to purple Calacatta, which create a beautiful contrast with the cool surface to the touch. 

Super White, in particular, has the ability to combine the lightness and purity of white with cerulean and gray veins that give the marble decision and depth. Calacatta – in this case in its violet nuances – is a marble extracted from the quarries of Carrara, one of the most famous in the world. Its particular coloring makes it a particularly suggestive marble since the veins are more evident, clear, precise compared to other types of marble. Finally, Rosso Levanto Turco stands out from the other two colors thanks to its peculiar chromatic aspect.

Sitting at the corner bar of the roof of the W Rome hotel you can appreciate the quality cut and the pure beauty of a rare material.

Combined furniture 

The W Rome project sees marble as the absolute protagonist of the furniture. 

To create the furniture for the W Rome hotel we combined two types of stone: Silver Paradiso – black granite – and Bianco Carrara Gioia. The former has characteristic hazy, spiraling veins, like the foam of a stormy sea: in the black granite we chose, you can read all of nature and its absolute beauty. We have combined this deep granite with Bianco Carrara, with its delicate, soft grey streaks. Bianco Carrara, another precious Italian marble, creates a strong sense of contrast because it appears light and at the same time solid, impenetrable as only marble can be. 

Furniture made with the help of these marbles and wood by Gili Creation can be found in the bathrooms of the suites and rooms. In particular, Bianco Carrara Gioia is ideal for classy bathrooms because it makes the atmosphere as pleasant as in a spa, relaxing and soothing. 

Marble floors 

We can’t make a mystery of it: marble flooring is our pride and joy. In the W Rome restaurant and in the presidential room we have chosen to combine Travertino Rosso – a splendid natural stone whose color varies from deep red to soft red – with Rosso Levanto Italian marble, from the Ligurian town of the same name, and with Rosa Verona, an evocative natural stone with pinkish hues, like cherry trees in bloom, ideal for softening the warm and impetuous tones of red. 

All the marbles and stones used have been selected by Antolini, the main supplier of our natural stones.