Getting to Know Travertine Tile + the Exceptional Price of Buying Travertine Tile
Travertine tile is an incredibly durable and compact natural stone with unbelievable price range for sale per meter, square foot… widely used in construction
In particular, travertine is a chemical sedimentary rock consisting mainly of calcium carbonate minerals
the term travertine is derived from “tiburtinus” as it largely comes from the area below Tivoli
Travertine was actually one of the most used materials by the Romans for the construction of buildings and public works, so much so that it later became famous under the name Roman travertine
Among the world’s most famous monuments made of travertine rock, we cannot fail to mention the Colosseum, St
Peter’s Basilica and the Trevi Fountain
Travertine is considered an extremely versatile rock due to the variety of colors in which it is available
The stone age and the incorporation of oxides and other impurities (a normal phenomenon due to the porosity of this rock) give life, in addition to the classic travertine, to a series of different travertines with many shades from milky white to walnut to pink
to scarlet red
One of the first questions about travertine marble is this: is travertine a type of marble or not? The answer is quite simple: no
However, it is appropriate to clarify why we often hear about travertine marble in a completely natural way, even from experts in the field of stonework
Technically, according to the geological classification of rocks, travertine and marble are two different things: travertine is part of sedimentary limestone rocks, while marble is a metamorphic rock
Simply put, sedimentary rock is formed by the deposition of sediments over time, while metamorphic rock comes from sedimentary rock that also undergoes significant changes in pressure and temperature, times that can reach millions of years
The classification into marble, granite, travertine and stone is a type of trade classification, not a geological one: the Romans, for example, used the term “marble” to generically define polishable stones
For this reason, it is not unusual to hear “travertine marble” pronounced in common parlance
Is travertine marble or limestone? Travertine is very often sold as marble or limestone, but in reality travertine is technically neither of these two, because travertine stone is characterized by a completely different geological formation process that can be found not only from a chemical and physical point of view, but also visually
What type of rock is travertine? Chemical and mineralogical composition as well as technical properties If it is not marble, what type of rock is travertine? Travertine is a sedimentary stone of chemical origin with more or less distinct layering, concreted, structurally microcrystalline, which is formed when waters rich in bicarbonates release carbon dioxide into the atmosphere and into photosynthetic plant organisms
This process, also called the “karst phenomenon”, promotes the precipitation of calcium carbonate in the form of incrustations:
Ca(HC03)2 = CaCO3 + H20 + CO2
In the sedimentation process, in addition to calcium carbonate, other carbonates are precipitated, especially magnesium and manganese, as well as iron hydroxides, which significantly affect the appearance and especially the color of travertine
The morphology of the deposits and their distribution depends on the type of structures that are encrusted, the rate of precipitation, the rate of water flow, how much the vegetation participated in the removal of CO2, giving it a less dense structure than marble
In general, two main types of travertine rocks are distinguished: “thermal” travertines and travertines formed by water at room temperature
Thermal travertines are created by the precipitation of salts from hot mineralized waters
The cooling of these waters and the difference in carbon dioxide pressure between the atmosphere and the thermal aquifer system cause intense precipitation events near the springs, which form very large and thick travertine plates
These travertines are often found in central Italy due to the widespread presence of thermal waters
The second type of travertine stone generally results from so-called “petrified” springs characterized by a high salt content
In this case, when groundwater rises to the atmosphere, the balance between dissolved carbon dioxide and carbon dioxide present in the atmosphere is restored, which leads to the precipitation of calcium carbonate and the formation of calcite incrustations
Mineralogically, what type of rock is travertine? Travertine is almost entirely composed of calcium carbonate
Other elements present in travertine, although minimal, are quartz, clay minerals, manganese and iron hydroxides, gypsum, white mica, sulfur and chlorites
The presence of vegetables
leaves, algae, stems, etc
) is another characteristic factor from a morphogenetic point of view: travertine is actually characterized by a vacuolar structure, where voids (cuts or voids up to several centimeters) are generally caused by the deterioration of these organic elements in the rock
What kind of rock is travertine in terms of physico-chemical and mechanical properties? Its specific weight is at most 2500 kg/m2, while resistance/compression can reach up to 1200 kg/cm2
These parameters undoubtedly depend on the voids in the rock: the higher the presence of voids, the lighter and more fragile the stone
However, when the cavities exceed 20-30% of the total volume, then we are no longer talking about travertine, but about “sponge”
Another peculiarity of travertine is that it tends to harden and compress over time when exposed to air: this is because the conversion of calcium bicarbonate, as long as this element is present, never stops
The best travertines are mined in the plain below Tivoli and especially in the villages of Tivoli and Guidonia, where about thirty travertine quarries are currently operating
In addition to the Lazio region, which obviously maintains a certain preeminence in tradition and quality in the processing of the product, the main national mining reservoirs are located in Abruzzo (for example, in Ascoli Piceno, the churches, palaces and squares are all built of travertine), in Tuscany (especially in Rapolano Terme in the province of Siena), in Umbria and in Marche
Looking at global travertine mining, there are other varieties of travertine (often mistaken for Roman travertine) mined in other areas of the world
The areas outside of Italy with the largest number of travertine quarries are North Africa (mainly Tunisia and Egypt with yellow travertine), the Middle East (mainly Iran and Turkey – different varieties are mined in Turkish travertine quarries such as Turkish travertine, Iranian travertine, red travertine and titanium travertine) and South America (Chile)
Travertine was undoubtedly the most used stone by the Romans in construction for the construction of buildings and architectural works due to its elastic properties, good resistance to weathering and its ability to be easily smoothed and shaped
The most famous monument made of travertine stone (used for the construction of the main pillars, the floor and the external facade) is undoubtedly the Colosseum, which, in addition to being an indisputable symbol of the capital and a UNESCO heritage, was included in the new 7 wonders of the world in 2007
Just imagine that a road was purposely built to transport the travertine blocks from the Tibur quarries (today Bagni and Tivoli) to the capital
In addition to the Colosseum, travertine also decorates the exterior of the Teatro Marcello, the frame of the Pantheon, the columns of St
Peter’s Basilica, the architectural structures of the Basilica of Santa Maria Maggiore and the Basilica of San Giovanni in Laterano
The combination of travertine and water is represented in all its splendor and magnificent baroque fullness in the work of the Trevi Fountain, the largest fountain in Rome and another symbol of the Eternal City
The arches of what remained of the aqueducts were also made of travertine rock
The arch of Claudian’s aqueduct, built of travertine stone, gives the area its name “Arco di Travertino”
Among other things, the Claudian aqueduct is characterized by a spectacular chiaroscuro effect mainly due to the use of travertine blocks alternating with rough stone blocks such as peperino and red tuff
In the rest of the world, it is impossible not to mention the Basilica of the Sacred Heart in Paris, made of Château-Landon stone, a frost-resistant variety of travertine that becomes even whiter and shinier with age and contact
with rain
Or the Getty Center in Los Angeles, whose architectural structure built from more than 100,000 square meters of travertine stone imported from Italy complements the surrounding natural environment and pays tribute to the concept of a historic building
Colors and types of travertine
Based on the origin and the different colors available, it is possible to create a subdivision of the different colors of travertine, which are among the most widespread on the market
Gray travertine
This shade is not one of the most common, but it is certainly one of the most elegant
It should be emphasized that this color is also widely used for imitating travertine or for slabs with a travertine effect, such as travertine porcelain stoneware
Below we present three types of gray travertine: Rapolano silver travertine, vesta travertine and titanium travertine
silver travertine
Silver travertine, like zebra travertine, is one of the most valuable varieties of the Rapolano quarry in Tuscany
This variety of travertine is characterized by gray shades and especially straight grains of gray, silver and beige
These chromatic properties make it a unique stone in the world, so much so that silver travertine is often chosen for prestigious projects at the international level
Vesta travertine
An Italian travertine stone with a very light gray or ecru background and crossed with contrasting veins of a lighter color than white, silver or ivory
The Vesta travertine veins are generally very distinct, undulating and of varying thickness and intensity
Titanium travertine
Titanium travertine is a variety of travertine mined mainly in Iran and Turkey
Titanium travertine has a surprising color from dark gray (sometimes with a tendency to brown) to light Phrygian
Due to its color and special properties that distinguish it from more classic travertines, it is particularly suitable for spaces with a modern design and combined with typically industrial materials such as steel and concrete
Yellow travertine comes mainly from the Middle East, although we have also included yellow travertine mined in Italy, specifically Roman gold travertine
Yellow travertine usually has a cream-colored base with dark yellow streaks, on which rare finer streaks stand out
Yellow travertine has been used both indoors and outdoors since ancient times, and the types of yellow travertine that we have examined, in addition to Roman gold travertine, are Persian (or Turkish) yellow travertine and Persian gold travertine
Persian yellow travertine
This travertine comes mostly from Iran, but can also be found in Turkey
Persian Yellow Travertine has an intense yellow color that is further enhanced by processes such as polishing, brushing or sandblasting
The texture of Persian Yellow Travertine is compact and dense, on which thin brown or white veins can be identified
The use of Persian Yellow Travertine is recommended in contexts where there is water, as the wet effect accentuates the yellow color of this stone even more
This type of golden travertine is mined in Italy and is characterized by a warm color that is between walnut and yellow
It is customary to combine this type of travertine with travertines of a lighter color than beige
Even the golden travertine from the Middle East has very similar characteristics to the travertine obtained in Italy: it is actually a travertine with golden tones of yellow and beige color with light brown streaks
With pink travertines, we approach the typical colors of travertine
Pink travertine is a natural stone of Italian origin characterized by a relatively uniform base of light pink color with more or less pronounced shades and veins of a more intense color
The types of pink travertine listed below are Turkish Pink Travertine, Scabas Travertine and Paglierino Travertine
Turkish pink travertine is a relatively rare stone mined only in a few Turkish travertine quarries
As a very rare stone, it is mainly used for high-value projects or, thanks to its special pink color, to create modern and luxurious living spaces
Scabas travertine is a travertine originating mainly from Spain, but there are also mining tanks in Italy in the province of Siena
Scabas travertine is a material with pink and beige tones with concentrations of minerals that bring to life such veins that make it a heterogeneous stone
Scabas travertine from the area of San Casciano dei Bagni in the province of Siena is another of the Tuscan stones of excellence: it is a porous travertine stone with small holes that are usually covered with crystals
Scabas travertine is especially suitable for indoor use
Paglierino travertine
Paglierino travertine is travertine of natural consistency, with a very compact structure and without large pores or cavities
The predominant color of this stone is exactly straw pink, with limited darker shades that highlight the subtle streaks
Beige is undoubtedly the typical shade of travertine, for which it is known all over the world
Among the most famous beige travertines, we cannot fail to mention Alabastrino travertine, classic Roman travertine and Navona travertine
Alabastrino travertine
Mined in the Tivoli Travertine Quarry area, Alabastrino Travertine is generally a non-porous stone with a uniform ivory and light beige color with yellow to havana wavy veining
Alabastrino travertine, which is anti-freeze and anti-slip, is often used in outdoor environments
My company has for decades been leading the market in both supply and export of travertine for over decades and hence is honored to invite all dear customers and traders to join us in world trade of travertine and experience the best purchase ever in your life
