Marble Chips

The four finishes are stages of the same process. Edge comes straight from crushing, with sharp arrises and a raw matte face. Velvet has been tumbled long enough to knock the edges off without developing sheen. Satin goes further and begins to reflect. Lustre is worked to a full polish, and in a water feature or a poured resin floor it reads almost wet.

The stone underneath is not one material. We work a wide range of marbles, granites and quartz, and each brings a different palette and a different set of physical properties. Marble gives the whites, creams and veined blacks; granite gives the speckled greys, pinks and deep reds, and is markedly harder; quartz gives the translucent whites and ambers that carry light in a glossy finish.

That difference decides where each belongs. Marble is calcium carbonate at about 3 on the Mohs scale and dissolves in acid, so it suits interiors, planting and sheltered decorative work — not trafficked exteriors or anywhere acidic cleaning is used. Granite and quartz sit at 6 to 7 Mohs and are chemically inert, which is what makes them the right choice for pool surrounds, entrances and any surface that will be walked on or washed down. Specify the finish for the look; specify the stone for the duty.