I am back today with a little education about tumbled travertine tile, which is the primary stone I use in my coaster and trivet business.
Travertine is a naturally occurring stone that occurs after the earth’s crust comes under high pressure with high heat. It undergoes metamorphic changes in the crust that causes the stone to form. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Metamorphic_rock)
In the US, most of the travertine is imported from Turkey and 95% of the travertine comes through the port at Miami. It is then distributed throughout the country.
Travertine comes in several colors. I choose to work primarily on ivory travertine because the designs I make up tend to show up better, and it happens to be a classic color that goes with most decor. However, other colors that I can obtain are scabos, noche or a light gray.
Each tile is unique in terms of mottling or veining. Tiles may have streaks or bands of one or more colors running through the stone. Tiles from the same quarry will have an overall similarity.
The tumbling process leave travertine with a natural finish that has very textured. The stone has naturally occurring pits, dimples, divets, and holes. It has a matt finish with no gloss. You will find the edges rounded or with a worn appearance, giving it an aged look.
Depending on where you shop, the tumbled travertine may be filled or unfilled. The tiles I chose to use are unfilled. It gives a more natural, rustic appearance to the coasters.
Because travertine is a naturally occurring stone, no two tiles will exactly look alike. Of course they are similar but it’s like looking at two fingerprint. When looking at tiles you’ll see they have pits, dimples, similar color and worn appearance but the variation of those characteristics is different from one tile to the next. When purchasing our coasters please understand that those characteristics are what makes your coaster set unique from every other set, even when the same design s applied.
Blessings,
Cindy
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