What is Travertine?
Travertine, which is often marketed as marble or travertine marble, is not, in fact, a type of marble. Like marble, it is a natural stone formed from limestone. But unlike marble, travertine is a sedimentary rock deposited by hot springs heated by geothermal energy. This process of formation gives travertine its elegant layered pattern and porous surface.
Travertine is available in a diverse array of colors due to the presence of minerals during its formation. As such, it is most often found in beautiful earth tones such beige, brown, red, orange, and yellow. Travertine ranges in color from the creams of Italian Travertino Alabastrino to the dark browns of Travertino Bronzo to the rich reds of Travertino Rosso Persiano.
It is sometimes referred to as “Roman Travertine” due to its extensive use in architecture and construction by the ancient Romans. It is most commonly sourced from across Italy, but can also be found in Turkey, Iran, China, and the Central Americas.