Amarestone Natural Stone Blog

The Marble of the Alhambra - Spanish Macael Marble

Posted by Steve Turner on Sat, Nov 26, 2016 @ 06:17 PM

Blanco Macael - the Spanish marble of the Alhambra Palace

Over the last few years, we have been researching some of the more unusual Spanish limestones and marbles. The Blanco Macael Spanish marble from the southern tip of Spain is well known to us but I hadn't realised that it had such a famous pedigree or that Macael can be yellow, grey or green as well as white.

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Topics: marble, marble flooring, spanish marble, facade, quarry, White marble

How 4 common myths cause leaks in your bathroom

Posted by Steve Turner on Thu, Nov 10, 2016 @ 09:00 AM

 

We are often consulted on situations where an inappropriate substrate has resulted in a failure to the tiling and now needs to be replaced. So, we would like to share with you the most common problems we come across and our top tips for protecting your new bathroom from water damage.

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Topics: limestone, marble, installation, bathroom

Portuguese Marble - Pretty in Pink - an update

Posted by Steve Turner on Tue, Oct 25, 2016 @ 09:45 AM

Portuguese marble is pretty in pink.

In previous blogs, we've talked about Portuguese limestone, and how these Portuguese stones are loved by designers for their uniformity and predictability of colour, veining and shelling. But the Portuguese also have a range of marbles which are really eye-catching.

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Topics: choosing marble, estremoz, vila vicosa marble, blue marble, blue stone, marble, marble flooring, marble tiles, prestige marble, portuguese marble, White marble, quality marble, rosa aurora

'Ugly' marble. Natural stone with attitude!

Posted by Steve Turner on Mon, Jul 13, 2015 @ 01:25 PM

The demand for coloured marble and strong patterns in natural stone has been around for a while now and is showing no signs of fading.

The first time I realised that it was becoming a trend was when I read an article on Remodelista two years ago. Since then, we have had lots of enquiries and a number of recent orders for so called 'ugly' marble.

One of our latest projects was to supply pink Rosa Aurora marble to the new Granger & Co restaurant at Kings Cross. Pop along to see our tables in situ.. and of course to try out the new menu! The restaurant interior was designed by Gundry & Ducker and fitted by Bluecrow shopfitters. 

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Topics: marble, Italian marble, bespoke, which stone, rare marble, designer, quarry, prestige marble, portuguese marble, exotic marble, quality marble

Tracking down 100 yr old Italian marble tiles

Posted by Steve Turner on Mon, May 12, 2014 @ 04:42 PM

A case study: Sourcing old Italian marble.

A little while ago, we were approached by a private client whose Victorian house had an old black and white marble floor that was in need of some careful restoration, cleaning and re-sealing. In addition, the customer wanted to find some matching marble floor tiles for a new conservatory extension.

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Topics: maintenance, sealer, marble, Italian marble, calacatta, Fob, fitting, Fila

Spanish Stone - Crema Marfil alternatives

Posted by Steve Turner on Sat, Jan 04, 2014 @ 10:49 AM

Alternative marbles from Spain:

In an earlier blog, I talked about Crema Marfil and how difficult it was becoming to find really top-quality material. 

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Topics: limestone, limestone flooring, choosing marble, marble, marble flooring, spanish marble, limestone tiles, buying limestone, spanish limestone, marble tiles, choosing natural stone, which stone, bespoke limestone, crema marfil, crema marfil tiles

French Limestone - the quarries bounce back

Posted by Steve Turner on Wed, Nov 13, 2013 @ 11:38 AM

Good News: French Limestone back on the agenda

We recently had some excellent news from our friends in France. They have now restructured and we can once again source the widest range of top quality French limestone and marble for tiles, slabs, six-sides-sawn blocks and bespoke pieces. Our extensive range and knowledge of French stone makes us the UK's leading supplier of French limestone.

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Topics: limestone, limestone flooring, marble, French limestone, marble flooring, limestone tiles, burgundy limestone, marble tiles, pierre de bourgogne

Sourcing the world's best natural stone: How do you start?

Posted by Steve Turner on Mon, Nov 11, 2013 @ 04:06 PM

Where it all began...

Husband and wife team, Steve and Denise Turner, started the company almost 10 years ago when they were looking for a fresh start. Denise began her career as a biochemist, later moving into IT. Steve went straight into the IT industry after university and worked his way up to running a successful IT project management business.

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Topics: limestone, choosing marble, history, marble, buying limestone, installation, fitting, Fila, choosing natural stone, Stone Federation of GB, CE Marking, design, bespoke limestone, company, customer service, bespoke service

Protecting polished marble

Posted by Steve Turner on Sun, Oct 13, 2013 @ 09:02 AM

Surface sealing made easy with FILAMP90 ECO

Tile sealants play an essential role in protecting natural materials – and make surfaces easier to maintain.  But, contrary to belief, application needn’t be time consuming or unpleasant!

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Topics: stain, choosing marble, maintenance, clean, seal slate, marble, stone, marble flooring, Italian marble, spanish marble, calacatta, calacatta michelangelo, seal limestone, Fob, cleaning, wine stain, Fila, marble tiles, sealing, MP90, protection, seal marble

Portuguese Marble - pretty in pink

Posted by Steve Turner on Fri, Aug 23, 2013 @ 09:56 PM

Home of the Rosa – Portuguese marble is pretty in pink.

Our previous blog talked about Portuguese limestone, particularly Moleanos and Moca Creme, and about how these Portuguese stones can be a designer's delight for their uniformity and predictability of colour and veining/shelling.

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Topics: choosing marble, estremoz, vila vicosa marble, blue marble, blue stone, marble, marble flooring, marble tiles, prestige marble, portuguese marble, White marble, quality marble, rosa aurora