Marble is known for its quality and elegance, as well as its ability to add flare, luxury and class to a premises. So it’s hardly surprising its popularity has endured so long.
These days, homeowners arguably have more choice than ever, with the emergence of engineered marble on to the market. This type comprises marble dust, polymers, gel coating and colour pigments plus the natural stone. And it’s a widely available material, while also being affordable compared with 100% ‘real’ marble.
As well as this, low-quality counterfeit marble is around. So how can you tell a natural marble apart from an artificial variety? Actually, there are a number of tests you can do to check authenticity.
The colour test
This is one of the easiest and quickest ways of verifying the condition of your marble, a stone which comes in a variety of hues. If there are no visual flaws or impurities, it will be a solid white shade. Bright colours such as turquoise or orange indicate an engineered product. Integrating minerals can also lead to colourations such as yellow, blue, grey or green.
Take the vein test
Look at the stone carefully. Gorgeous veining in marble can up its price considerably. Italian versions, for example, are costly due to their finer veins with clear contrast. And while ‘fake’ marble can imitate the swirled, veined appearance, it will lack the dimension and depth of natural veining.
The knife test
Clearly, you need to do this one on an unobtrusive area of your stone, or get your vendor to do it. Scratch the surface with a knife – if it leaves marks, your piece of marble is genuine. If not, it is not.
Look at the shine
Natural marble boasts a unique shine. Indeed, this product is in such demand precisely because of its glossiness. And while it’s true that engineered marble does have a shine, it’s not the same as its all-natural counterpart.
Talk to Royal Stone Care
At Royal Stone Care, we know marble inside out, having looked after it for a years for a broad range of business and domestic clients across the London area. Whether you need marble restoration, marble chip repair or anything else, we’re here to help.
And we can have a chat with you about your marble and it’s authenticity as part of our service. Get in touch today to learn more.
