The Journal
Plain answers about stone
What to choose for each room, how to check what you are buying, and how to look after it. Written by people who select stone every day.
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Choosing a stone · 4 minStatuario or Calacatta: how to tell them apartStatuario and Calacatta are both white marbles from Carrara, Italy.
Choosing a stone · 4 minIs marble flooring worth it? The honest pros and consMarble flooring is worth it in rooms where you want natural veining, a cool, smooth floor and a surface that can be re-polished for decades: living rooms, bedrooms and staircases.
Choosing a stone · 4 minChoosing marble for a living room floorFor a living room floor, choose the colour first, then the veining.
Choosing a stone · 3 minStone for staircases: granite, marble or KotaGranite is the hardest-wearing stone for stairs and suits busy homes and outdoor steps.- Choosing a stone · 3 minQuartz or granite for an Indian kitchen counterFor an Indian kitchen that cooks every day, granite is usually the safer choice: it is natural, takes heat from a hot tawa or kadhai, and resists scratches.
Choosing a stone · 3 minMarble, granite or tiles: which is right for your homeUse marble where you want natural veining and a cool, smooth floor: living rooms, bedrooms and walls.- Choosing a stone · 3 minItalian marble or Indian marbleItalian marble is usually finer-grained with softer, more translucent whites and creams and more fluid veining; it is softer and needs more care.
Choosing a stone · 3 minThe best stone for a kitchen that gets usedFor a kitchen that is cooked in every day, choose granite.
Choosing a stone · 3 minStone for outdoor and parking areasOutdoors, choose a hard stone with a textured finish.
Choosing a stone · 3 minKota, Tandur or KadappaKota, Tandur and Kadappa are all dense, practical Indian stones for floors, stairs and outdoor areas.
Choosing a stone · 3 minPolished, honed or leather: choosing a finishChoose polished where you want shine and the strongest colour, in dry rooms and on walls.- Buying well · 3 minWhen to choose your flooring during constructionChoose your flooring stone before plastering starts, ideally while the structure is going up.
- Buying well · 3 minQuestions to ask a stone dealer before you pay an advanceBefore you pay an advance, ask the dealer six things: where the stone is quarried, what grade it is, whether all slabs come from one lot, how quantity and wastage were worked out, whether the slabs delivered will be the ones you chose, and what happens if a slab arrives broken.
- Buying well · 8 minHow to choose the best quality Italian marbleThe best quality Italian marble is a first-choice slab from a named Italian quarry, with an even ground, well-placed veining, few cracks or resin fills, a deep natural polish and steady 18 mm thickness, all from one lot.
- Buying well · 3 minWhat decides the cost of Italian marble in BengaluruSix things decide what Italian marble costs: which stone it is, its grade, the size and consistency of the lot, thickness, finish, and the wastage your layout creates.
- Buying well · 3 minHow to check marble quality before you paySee the full slabs, not a sample.
- Buying well · 3 minHow to read a slab: veining, lots and matchingA slab is one thin cut from a block, so the slabs next to it share its veining.
- Buying well · 3 minHow much stone do you need, and what wastage is normalMeasure each room's floor area, add an allowance for cutting wastage and breakage, and round up to whole slabs or tiles.
- Buying well · 3 minBuying stone from another cityYou can choose stone from Bengaluru without travelling.
- Living with stone · 4 minWhy white marble turns yellow, and how to prevent itWhite marble usually turns yellow for one of three reasons: iron in the stone rusting when moisture stays in it, dirt and wax building up in a worn surface, or acidic and bleach-based cleaners.
- Living with stone · 4 minHow marble should be laid: what to check on siteA good marble floor is laid dry first in slab order, then fixed on a full, even bed with no hollow spots, with tight joints and expansion gaps at walls.
Living with stone · 3 minMarble care: stains, sealing and cleaningSeal marble when it is laid and then about once a year.- Know your stones · 3 minBlack granite compared: Absolute Black, Black Galaxy and Black PearlAbsolute Black is an even, deep black with a very fine grain, the plainest of the three.
- Know your stones · 3 minBeige marble for a whole houseBeige marble is the practical choice for flooring a whole house: it feels warm, hides dust and wear, and suits wooden furniture.
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The 2026 Akrruthi catalogue
Every stone we hold, swatch by swatch, in one file to share with your family, architect or contractor.
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