What is the difference between marble and granite?

Marble is limestone that recrystallised under heat and pressure, so it is softer, more porous and reacts with acids. Granite is an igneous stone, harder and far less porous, and it resists both scratching and staining better. That is why granite suits a working kitchen surface and marble suits places where appearance is the point and the surface is not attacked daily.

Does marble really stain?

Yes, and there are two separate problems people conflate. Staining is a liquid soaking into the pores, which a sealer slows down and gives you time to wipe. Etching is an acid dissolving a thin layer of the surface, which leaves a dull mark that no cleaner removes because the surface itself has changed. Lemon, vinegar and many household cleaners etch polished marble in seconds.

Polished is reflective and shows colour and veining at full strength, but it also shows every scratch and etch mark, and it is slippery wet. Honed is matt, hides daily wear better and grips underfoot, but it is more absorbent and needs sealing taken more seriously. Decide by where the stone is going rather than by which looks better in a showroom.

Why is a small sample not enough?

Because veining, background colour and the direction the pattern runs all change from slab to slab, even within one quarry and one batch. A hand-sized piece cannot tell you how a vein will read across a four metre floor or a full wall. Look at the actual slabs allocated to your job, and look at them wet as well as dry.

Types of marble, and where each one belongs

Marble is a natural stone and no two slabs are alike. That is what makes it worth having and what makes choosing it harder than it looks.

Marble began as limestone and was changed by heat and pressure until it recrystallised into something denser with visible veining. That veining is not a printed pattern. It is mineral impurity that worked its way into the stone while it formed, which is why every slab differs and why you cannot order the same figure twice.

Understanding that one fact prevents most of the disappointment people have with marble.

The types you will actually be offered

Carrara is the Italian white most people picture, greyish rather than bright, with fine grey veining spread fairly evenly. It is the most available and the most affordable of the whites, and it is quiet enough not to dominate a room.

Calacatta is a whiter ground with broader, higher contrast veining, often with gold or dark grey running through it. It is rarer than Carrara and priced accordingly, and it is usually chosen where the stone is meant to be the thing you look at.

Statuario is the whitest and the most dramatic, with bold veins spaced far apart. It is at the top of the price range and it tends to be used on smaller surfaces seen close up rather than across a whole floor.

Emperador is brown, from light to very dark, with fine white veining. It hides dust and traffic far better than any white, which makes it a practical choice for entrances and circulation.

Nero Marquina is black with sharp white veins. Striking, and the least forgiving surface in the room for fingerprints and water marks.

Onyx is translucent enough to be lit from behind, which is its whole appeal. It is structurally weaker than the others and belongs on non-loadbearing surfaces and decorative panels.

What decides performance, and it is not colour

Porosity. Marble absorbs liquid. A sealer slows the absorption and buys you time to wipe up a spill, but it does not make the stone non-porous and it needs reapplying on a schedule that depends on use.

Acid sensitivity. This is the one that catches people out. Mild acids dissolve a thin layer of the polished surface and leave a dull patch. It is not a stain sitting on top, it is a change to the stone, and it is corrected by repolishing rather than by cleaning. Citrus, vinegar, wine and a lot of ordinary household cleaners will do it.

Finish. Polished reflects light and reveals everything, good and bad. Honed absorbs light, hides more, grips better underfoot and drinks more. Other finishes such as leathered and brushed change both the texture and how the colour reads.

Where it works and where it does not

Marble earns its place on walls, decorative surfaces, feature panels, columns, stairs and bathrooms in moderate use. Vertical surfaces in particular are where it gives its best, because nothing abrades them.

It needs real thought on high traffic floors, on kitchen worktops used for actual cooking, and around pools where water and slipperiness meet. None of those rule it out. They mean the finish, the sealing regime and the honest expectation all have to be agreed before it is ordered.

Our flooring page sets out how the hard surfaces compare on absorption and slip resistance.

Living with it

Wipe spills immediately, acidic ones fastest. Use pH neutral cleaners rather than general household products. Put something under glasses and dishes. Reseal on the schedule your supplier gives, and more often in heavy use.

Before you commit

Ask to see the actual slabs rather than a sample. Ask how the stone will be cut and whether the veining is being book-matched across a run, because that changes both the quantity needed and the wastage. Then choose the finish for the location.

The showroom on Al Najda Street holds more than 12,000 materials, fabrics and finishes, and you are welcome to walk in during opening hours and see surfaces against the rest of your scheme.

Questions

Questions we get asked

What is the difference between marble and granite?: Marble is limestone that recrystallised under heat and pressure, so it is softer, more porous and reacts with acids. Granite is an igneous stone, harder and far less porous, and it resists both scratching and staining better. That is why granite suits a working kitchen surface and marble suits places where appearance is the point and the surface is not attacked daily.
Does marble really stain?: Yes, and there are two separate problems people conflate. Staining is a liquid soaking into the pores, which a sealer slows down and gives you time to wipe. Etching is an acid dissolving a thin layer of the surface, which leaves a dull mark that no cleaner removes because the surface itself has changed. Lemon, vinegar and many household cleaners etch polished marble in seconds.
Polished or honed?: Polished is reflective and shows colour and veining at full strength, but it also shows every scratch and etch mark, and it is slippery wet. Honed is matt, hides daily wear better and grips underfoot, but it is more absorbent and needs sealing taken more seriously. Decide by where the stone is going rather than by which looks better in a showroom.
Why is a small sample not enough?: Because veining, background colour and the direction the pattern runs all change from slab to slab, even within one quarry and one batch. A hand-sized piece cannot tell you how a vein will read across a four metre floor or a full wall. Look at the actual slabs allocated to your job, and look at them wet as well as dry.