Calacatta marble is renowned for its elegant, luxurious appearance, making it one of the most sought-after types of natural stone. Calacatta marble has a white base and distinctive veining in soft colors like light grey, gold, and warm beige. Some varieties of Calacatta marble have veining in more unique colors such as burgundy, violet, and green.
Calacatta marble is sold by the slab (for applications such as countertops, vanity tops, and marble fireplace surrounds). Calacatta marble tiles, including wall and floor tile and luxury waterjet mosaics, are also widely available. Calacatta marble tile is made from varieties of premium Italian Calacatta marble including luxurious Calacatta Gold marble.
Calacatta marble tile offers an opulent, high-contrast look, which is ideal for a statement backsplash, spa bathroom, or luxury walk-in shower. Its bright white background and unique, dramatic veining make it an unforgettable focal point for your kitchen, bathroom, great room, or entryway.
Calacatta Marble Tile Kitchen Backsplash
What is Calacatta Marble?
Calacatta marble is a metamorphic rock formed from limestone with a high concentration of calcium carbonate, giving it a bright white background. The presence of additional minerals, such as graphite and iron oxides like limonite, create its distinctive gray and gold veining.
Calacatta marble is quarried in the Apuan Alps mountains of Carrara, Italy. The Apuan Alps, located in the northern part of Tuscany, have been mined for marble since Roman times. Many different marble varieties are extracted from the Carrara marble quarries, including some of the most expensive marbles in the world such as Calacatta Gold, Calacatta Borghini, and Calacatta Macchia Vecchia.
Calacatta Gold Marble Tiles with Ample Grey & Gold Veining
Types of Calacatta Marble
Calacatta marble is prized for its elegant white background and contrasting veining of grey, warm yellow/gold, and beige/brown. Some types of Calacatta marble also have green, blue-green, or burgundy/violet veining. During careful examination of Calacatta marble, you can usually observe subtle gold or beige undertones.
There are several different types of Calacatta marble available to purchase including:
Calacatta Borghini
Calacatta Borghini marble has a clean white background with large feathery veins of grey (with slight beige or gold accents).
Calacatta Viola
Calacatta Viola marble tiles, which have been trending over the past few years, have dramatic burgundy and violet veining.
Marble Quarry in Tuscany. Image by Gianluca from Pixabay.
Calacatta Verde
Calacatta Verde marble tiles have beautiful green veins, often mixed with gray and gold.
Calacatta Macchia Vecchia
This luxurious marble has an ivory base and bold, flowing veins in velvety shades of soft gold, yellow ochre, and deep gray.
Calacatta Gold
Calacatta Gold marble tiles are prized for their elegant white background and distinctive grey and warm gold veining (with occasional hints of green). Some variations of Calacatta Gold have a crisp white background while others have creamy white or ivory undertones.
Many of our luxury waterjet cut mosaics feature Calacatta Gold marble. Calacatta Gold is sometimes referred to as Calacatta Oro (Oro means “gold” in Spanish).
Note: If a tile’s material is referred to simply as “Calacatta marble,” it typically has more grey and less gold veining. Our collection of Calacatta marble field tiles have a creamy white background with thin, distinctive grey veining (occasionally mixed with hints of gold).
Calacatta vs Calacatta Gold
Many people wonder about the difference between Calacatta and Calacatta Gold marble. Calacatta Gold has much more gold and beige veining than Calacatta marble. Conversely, Calacatta marble tiles typically have a white background with thin grey veining and occasional gold accents.
Calacatta Marble Mosaic Tile in Hexagons
It should be noted that Calacatta Gold is actually a generic label used commercially to denote types of Calacatta marble with significant amounts of large gold veins. You should always try to obtain a sample prior to ordering a Calacatta Gold marble tile, to ensure it has the right balance of grey and gold veining for your project.
Calacatta Gold Marble Mosaic Tile in 3” Arabesque Lanterns
Calacatta vs Carrara Marble
Both Calacatta and Carrara marble are quarried in areas of the Carrara basin of the Apuan Alps. However, Carrara marble has a white-to-light gray base with feathery grey veining.
Walk-In Shower Made from Carrara Marble Tile
Carrara marble is typically more gray than Calacatta and has smaller veins. Carrara marble rarely features the other colors found in Calacatta marble varieties, such as gold, green, and burgundy. Calacatta marble’s veining is also typically thicker and more distinctive than Carrara.
Honed & Polished Calacatta Gold Marble Shower
Calacatta marble is more expensive than Carrara marble. That’s because Calacatta marble is in high demand among designers, and less Calacatta marble is extracted from the Apuan Alps compared to Carrara. Calacatta marble tiles usually cost $20-30 per square foot while Carrara marble tiles typically start around $10-15 per square foot. Costs will vary based on factors like thickness and quality.
Calacatta Marble: Frequently Asked Questions
Some frequently asked questions we receive about Calacatta marble and Calacatta marble field tiles and mosaics:
What Are the Disadvantages of Calacatta Marble?
While Calacatta marble is beautiful, it is one of the most expensive natural stones in the world. Due to its rarity and high cost, it is usually reserved for high-end interior design and architectural projects. And while Calacatta marble is undeniably stunning, it is also quite porous and can be susceptible to staining (if not properly installed and maintained). Regular sealing and gentle cleaning will help preserve its beautiful appearance and longevity.
Does Calacatta Marble Stain?
Like other types of marble, Calacatta marble is porous and requires regular sealing (usually every 6-12 months) for long-lasting beauty as well as gentle cleaning to prevent discoloration or staining.
What Tile Looks Good with Calacatta Marble?
Calacatta marble looks best when paired with white, cream, gray, beige, or taupe tiles. Metallic gold or brass-accented tiles can also be used to enhance the luxurious aesthetic of Calacatta marble. That’s why so many of our luxe waterjet mosaic tiles feature a base of Calacatta Gold marble with gold or brass metallic accent.
Geode Waterjet Mosaic Tile in Calacatta Gold Marble with Brass Accent
Premium white marble tiles (such as White Thassos) and gray marble tiles (such as Bianco Carrara) are often paired with Calacatta marble. Athens grey marble also looks amazing next to Calacatta marble! The warm brown tones in Athens marble perfectly complement the cream and gold tones of Calacatta marble!
Walk-In Shower Featuring Calacatta Gold & Athens Brown Marble
What is Like Calacatta Gold but Not Marble?
For walls and floors, Calacatta Gold look porcelain tiles can be used to add the luxurious aesthetic of Calacatta Gold marble to your interior design (at a fraction of the price). Porcelain is also easier to install and maintain than real marble.
For countertops, silestone calacatta gold quartz is a good alternative to Calacatta Gold marble.
What to Know Before Ordering Calacatta Marble Tiles
Calacatta marble has become one of the most desired premium tiling materials for bespoke interior design and architectural applications. Calacatta marble, with its bright white background and thick, dramatic veining, is sought-after around the world by designers and homeowners who want a beautiful luxury white marble with bold high-contrast veining.
Luxury Calacatta Gold Marble Walk-In Shower
Like other natural stones, no two pieces of Calacatta marble tile are alike. That’s because marble tiles are formed by natural geological processes over millions of years, resulting in unique veining, patterns, and colors.
Because marble tile can vary from lot to lot, we highly suggest obtaining a sample of any Calacatta or Calacatta Gold marble tile available in our collection of premium marble field tile and mosaics ahead of placing a full order for an upcoming project.
Note: sampling expenses are credited towards project orders in our trades discount program for designers and contractors.