Carrara marble is one of the most prestigious marbles ... The more expensive one is usually the type of marble that's exported. Last year, 1.2 million tons of blocks crossed the Italian border ...

And calacatta is one of the world's most expensive types of marble. It's more than double the price of carrara marble, yet mined in the same mountains. But the key to calacatta's price is its rarity.

Recognising the aesthetic significance and the aspiration of many to have marble kitchen benchtops for their homes, ...