Q: I hope you can help settle a “debate” between my wife and I. We’re remodeling our master suite. We’ve been shopping for white marble for his and her vanity tops in the bath. We’ve been seeing Calacatta and Carrara marbles. I say they’re the same thing, but my wife insists that we go with Calacatta. Is there a difference?

A: Your wife wins the prize with this one. Though Calacatta and Carrara marbles are very similar—in fact they both come from Carrara, Italy, which doesn’t help much when trying to differentiate between the two—they are not the same. Even professionals commonly mistake one for the other, so you’re not alone.

Both are milky white in color with white and grey veining and both radiate elegance and sophistication. Both kinds have been used to embellish everything from iconic architecture to modern day interiors. They are both very desirable luxury stones that add timeless beauty to any project. And though their differences may not be immediately clear, they are there.

Lets start with Calacatta. The main difference is that the veining in Calacatta marble is typically larger and thicker. The heavy veining, which is usually more defined, contrasts dramatically with a crisp white background. The patterns tend to be bigger, bolder and more contrasting than Carrara. On the other hand, with Carrara, veining is smaller, lighter, and a finer grey in color. Veining in Carrara tends to be more linear and appear more delicate.

Gorgeous Calacatta marble recently hand-selected in Italy; photo via Marble and Granite Inc.

As far as availability goes, Calacatta is considered to be more rare while Carrara is more readily available. Naturally this is reflected in the price. Harder-to-find Calacatta is more expensive than the more commonly found Carrara.

Bianco Carrara marble; photo via Marble and Granite, Inc.

Both are a great choice that will add timeless beauty to your bathroom. So be sure to carefully inspect your slabs. Choose the one that you both can agree on. Keep in mind that every slab is different and you will often see dramatic differences even when comparing Carrara to Carrara and Calacatta to Calacatta.

If you wife gets her way and you settle on Calacatta, be sure to check out our inventory of Calacatta. We recently traveled to Italy where we handpicked a selection of gorgeous Calacatta slabs (one pictured above.) They’ll soon be on display in our showrooms, so feel free to call us for an appointment.