Marble Countertop Info For Your Next NYC Kitchen Renovation

January 24, 2023

Marble can be a great option for those that are looking for a timeless, sophisticated, bold addition to a home. We hope you keep this information in mind when it comes time for that next renovation. There are many options for using marble to cover a countertop, tables, shelving, window sills, doorway thresholds, etc., but for our purposes here today, we would like to highlight some options available. Probably the most common marble used in today’s home, your countertop, both kitchen, and bath.

photo courtesy of www.mistones.com

Marble is a rock resulting from the metamorphism of sedimentary carbonate rocks, most commonly limestone or dolomite rock. Metamorphism causes variable recrystallization of the original carbonate mineral grains. Someone typically composes the resulting marble rock of an interlocking mosaic of carbonate crystals. Primary sedimentary textures and structures of the original carbonate rock (protolith) have typically been modified or destroyed.

Lending to the beauty and unique characteristic swirls and veins of many colored marble varieties are usually because of various mineral impurities such as clay, silt, sand, iron oxides, or chert which were originally present as grains or layers in the limestone. Green coloration is often because of serpentine resulting from originally high magnesium limestone or dolostone with silica impurities. These various impurities have been mobilized and recrystallized by the intense pressure and heat of the metamorphism.

photo courtesy of www.homebunch.com

In considering a marble countertop for your home or apartment, there are a few things to keep in mind. As marble is often chosen for its beauty and strength, there are a few downsides to consider when making your final decision.

photo courtesy by kevinjoyce on Flickr

THE PROS OF A MARBLE COUNTERTOP:

Marble is, in the opinion of most, absolutely gorgeous. The natural pattern and color, whether it be subtle or colorful, is usually what attracts most people to its use. The multitude of colors, combinations of various colors, and pattern variance usually can make this material a perfect fit with any decor. Marble is obviously a very hard material and can withstand extreme temperatures, hot and cold, without issue, as well is waterproof.

THE CONS OF A MARBLE COUNTERTOP:

The downsides to a marble countertop can often be cost, availability of a particular type or color or pattern, and consequences associated with natural material. Although hard to the touch and solid against temperature, marble is porous and somewhat “soft” as far as stone goes. The porousness allows for potential staining, and the development over time of a “patina” or look of wear over any period, although the effects of staining and this patina over time are sometimes appreciated as part of the beauty of the marble itself. There are some products on the market, combined with a bit of self-awareness, that can minimize the effects of staining.

photo by www.decoresource.com

Now that we have worked through what marble is, how it is formed, and the good and the bad as far as household use is concerned, let’s look at several of the more historically notable varieties and their locations of origin. Typically, when talking marble with a fabricator or seller, you can use these names as a fairly common point of reference in checking availability and cost.

Carrara marble	white or blue-gray	Carrara, Tuscany	Italy
Connemara marble	green	Connemara, County Galway	Ireland
Creole marble	white and blue/black	Pickens County, Georgia	United States
Etowah marble	pink, salmon, rose	Pickens County, Georgia	United States
Murphy marble	white	Pickens and Gilmer Counties, Georgia	United States
Parian marble	pure-white, fine-grained	Island of Paros (Πάρος), South Aegean (Νοτίου Αιγαίου)	Greece
Pentelic marble	pure-white, fine-grained semitranslucent	Mount Pentelicus (Πεντελικό όρος), Attica (Ἀττική)	Greece
Purbeck marble	Gray/brown	Isle of Purbeck, Dorset	United Kingdom
Ruskeala marble	white	near Ruskeala (Рускеала), Karelia (Карелия)	Russia
Rușchița marble	white, pinkish, reddish	Poiana Ruscă Mountains, Caraș-Severin County	Romania
Sienna marble	yellow with violet, red, blue or white veins	near Siena, Tuscany	Italy
Bianco Sivec	white	near Prilep (Прилеп), Pelagonia (Пелагониски)	Macedonia
Swedish green marble	green	near Kolmården, Södermanland	Sweden
Sylacauga marble	white	Talladega County, Alabama	United States
Vermont marble	white	Proctor, Vermont	United States
Yule marble	uniform pure white	near Marble, Colorado	United States
Wunsiedel marble	white	Wunsiedel, Bavaria	Germany
Makrana marble	white	Makrana, Nagaur district, Rajasthan	India

infographic courtesy of www.wikipedia.org

photo courtesy of www.ntudebsoc.org

We hope you have found this bit of information helpful, inspiring, and motivating toward making plans to renovate your kitchen or bath using some marble highlighted here. A simple marble countertop can add tremendous value to your home, not to mention your pleasure every day.

If you’re ready to renovate your NYC kitchen, we’re happy to help you through the process! Contact us and get your kitchen remodeled!