1st Quality
This is as good as it gets, there is almost no veining or surface imperfections on this stone at all. The colour is true and consistent throughout the slab, it is the purest form of your chosen stone..
Stone Calibration and Grades
You’ve chosen your stone, you know the look you want and you’ve just been asked what grade stone do you require?
Grade? What does that mean?
So if I order a lower grade does that mean I’m getting a lower quality product?
How do I know what I’m buying?
The following information is designed to help you understand how a stone is graded and calibrated. What exactly is the difference between 1st Quality and Commercial Quality and is it really worth spending all that extra money on the top product?
For the purposes of this explanation we have chosen images of a very popular marble - Crema Marfil to indicate the differences between grades.
First things first, forget the word quality, this gives you the impression that there is something substandard about anything that isn’t “1st Quality”.
Think of buying marble the same way you would buy a diamond or any precious stone, you are interested in the purity of the stone. The more pure (or less blemishes) the more you pay. The quality of the surface finish or shape/thickness of the tile is no different throughout the grades, each type is cut and polished to the same standard.
Ok, so that’s cleared up a few questions but in reality what is the difference.
High Standard
High Standard is Marble that didn’t quite make it as 1st Quality but was very close, the majority of the slab will be pure and consistent with the colour staying consistent throughout the whole slab. There may be a small amount of veining and tiny patches of discoloration, but you have to look hard to find them.
Standard (sometimes referred to as commercial)
The veining is starting to become pronounced and there will be variation in shading/colour throughout the slab..
Clasico
There will be moderate to heavy veining on this stone, the shading and colour throughout the slab will be inconsistent and some areas of the stone may appear to have discoloration that looks like light or pigment staining..
