Marble Tile Veining & Design
To the untrained eye, all marble might look the same, just differing in shade and contrast, perhaps. But marble and natural stone, over the years of their formation and depending on the specific mix of minerals that maybe present in the limestone rock when it was being formed, can develop patterns as unique and as varied as human fingerprints!
Because of this, no two slabs of marble are the same. But largely, we can classify them into 9 different types.
Marble Tiles with Linear Veins
Linear marble veins look exactly like what they sound like: moving lines that run across the surface of the stone, much like blood veins or flowing lines that have a more or less unified direction. They can appear as dark veins on light stone, or light veins on dark stone – it is the lines that make them what they are.
For a good example of linear veins, check out the patterns on the Vogue Grande Collection.
Get your marble tile inspirations from our catalogue.
Marble Tiles With Tree Veins
Slightly different from linear veins, instead of lines that show a clear pattern of movement across the surface, tree veins tend to crisscross and branch off in different directions while starting from the same spot.
The Natural & Abstract and Venato series have good examples of tree veins – can you spot them?
Marble Tiles with Breccia Design
While linear and tree veins tend to resemble lines, breccia veins almost appear to flow like streams of over across the marble, creating dark rivulets of contrast against the underlying rock and creating a beautiful watery effect.
Marble Tiles in Brocade Design
“Brocade” is a textile term for a patterned, woven fabric, like something you might see on a silk cushion. In the world of marble, visually it looks similar to breccia veins, except that the stone fragments are smaller, appearing like bits and beads instead of islands that resemble embroidery work.
Cararra Marble
When most people think of marble, they are thinking of Carrara, which derives its name from the city of Carrara in Italy where it is quarried. Typically light in colour, its veins are usually small and soft and tend to be linear, but can also exhibit tree vein patterns, as you can see from our Marblevo and Vogue Grande Collection series.
Marble Tiles in Shell Stone Design
This type of marble has fragments of fossils and mollusc shells embedded in them, creating interesting patterns in the otherwise uniform colour of the marble. While this pattern does not fit the strict definition of “veins”, it is a design and aesthetics choice nonetheless that is available to you.
Crema Marble
Quarried in Spain, Crema departs from the typical marble look by adopting a light beige or yellowish tone that makes it look creamy – check out Conti-flow for an example of this. The veining on crema tends to be irregular and stand out in stark contrast against the uniform colour of the background.
Calacatta Marble
The cousin of Carrara, Calacatta in many ways look similar to Carrara, except its veins tend to appear in large, thick patterns that are similar to Breccia veins that typically manifest in dark grey with various undertones, from green to blue to even gold, making it a favourite among designers for creating luxurious spaces.
See the Natural & Abstract for an example of Calacatta.
Crema Marble
Quarried in Spain, Crema departs from the typical marble look by adopting a light beige or yellowish tone that makes it look creamy – check out Conti-flow for an example of this. The veining on crema tends to be irregular and stand out in stark contrast against the uniform colour of the background.
Travertine Marble
Finally, Travertine is a form of marble that only forms around mineral springs, where as you might imagine, it is mixed together with many other minerals, which results in unique swirls and movements which give travertine a very distinctive look, such as those on our Vintage and S. Thomas series.
A Tile For Every Occassion
To give your home a timeless and classy look, you can’t go wrong with marble – and as you’ve seen, there’s one for every mood and feel. Check out Niro Granite’s exclusive range of beautifully designed Swiss-quality tiles that deliver superior quality and consistency.
