There are nearly 9,000 stone and probably three times as many names. Do  the names perplex you? Many importers will give a stone a changed name. So, it is not abnormal for one stone to have several names. If you understand some basic stone terminology the process will become easier.

Over 50 percent of the marble and granite in the United Kingdom comes from Italy. The Italian names are usually descriptive of the colour and region where the stone was quarried. For example, Blanco Carrere is a white (Bianca) stone from the Carrere region of Italy. You will also find that names may portray a feature of the stone. Breccias are a frequent Italian term used for stone that appears to have a broken appearance. Breccias stone is a marble that is formed in zones that have earthquakes. The stone is broken as the result of the tremor and is re-cemented back together by natural forces. Breccias can be recognized by its broken, fragmented appearance.

Here are some common Italian colours with the English translations. It is a good idea to memorize these names because many stones contain these terms: