Nero Marquina marble
Nero Marquina is the black with white veins you see in chequerboard floors and vanity tops. It looks superb polished, but it shows everything, and with the hard water in the Aube that's the first thing we mention.
What it shows
On a black background, a drop of lemon doesn't leave a discreet dull mark, it leaves a grey ring. Every dried drop of hard water leaves a white spot. Tap water in the Aube is often hard, so on polished Marquina you squeegee and dry it after use. Most supermarket limescale removers are acidic and attack the stone while they remove the scale.
Finish
Polished, it's a deep black with strong contrast on the veins. Honed, it goes towards charcoal and hides marks better. Leathered, slightly wavy, is a good middle way on a worktop. For a kitchen we only recommend it honed or leathered.
Where we use it
Vanity tops, fireplace shelves, skirting, bathroom cladding, tables. On floors, in a chequerboard with Carrara, both stones must be the same thickness to a tenth of a millimetre, and we grind the whole floor once laid to level it. 30 × 30 and 40 × 40 cm are the easiest sizes, large black tiles show scratches more in walkways. Outside in the sun we avoid it, it heats up and dulls.
The stone
It comes from around Markina in the Spanish Basque Country. Veined blacks from China or Turkey are sold under similar names, so we ask the supplier where it's from. Strictly it's a compact limestone that takes a polish, and it's as sensitive to acid as marble.
Dull black
It can be brought back on site by progressive grinding and polishing. Avoid "wet look" products, they darken the stone in patches.
See vanity tops, marble fireplaces and polishing, or call 07 45 20 76 39.
Frequently asked questions
Another question? Call the workshop: 07 45 20 76 39
Why are there white marks on my black top?
Either limescale from the water, which wipes off, or an acid mark, which needs repolishing.
Which finish for a kitchen?
Honed or leathered. Polished marks with the slightest acid or drop of hard water.
Do Nero Marquina and Carrara work together on a floor?
Yes, it's the classic chequerboard. Both stones are similarly hard and wear at the same rate.
Free quote
Send your measurements or a photo of the room and we will call you back. The quote costs nothing.