A Guide to Our Materials: Marble, Travertine, Brass, and Aluminum

Anastasio Home is a design house that makes sculptural objects from stone and metal — trays, catchalls, bowls, boxes, candleholders, barware, vases, and urns — designed in Connecticut and hand-finished in our atelier in Rajasthan, India. Four materials run through almost everything we make: marble, travertine, cast brass, and cast aluminum, with cast bronze and white brass on select pieces. This guide explains what each material is, where it comes from, and how it behaves over a lifetime of use.

One fact governs the rest: the stone is real, natural, and finite. We source most of it as remnant stone — blocks and offcuts set aside from larger stone productions — so the supply of any given stone is limited. No two pieces share the same veining, and when a stone runs out, it runs out.

The materials, in brief

• Marble — a metamorphic stone composed largely of calcite (calcium carbonate). Recrystallized limestone, prized for its veining. Most of our colourways are Indian marble.
• Travertine — a freshwater limestone, also calcium carbonate, recognizable by its open, naturally pitted surface.
• Cast brass — a copper-and-zinc alloy, cast in our own foundry and left unlacquered, so it develops a patina with time and touch. Our metal objects are made for decorative use.
• Cast aluminum — a lightweight metal that forms its own protective oxide layer, making it the lowest-maintenance material we work in.

Marble

Marble is a metamorphic rock. It begins as limestone, and under heat and pressure deep in the earth its calcium carbonate recrystallizes into interlocking calcite crystals. The minerals trapped in the original limestone become the veining — iron oxides read as red, gold, and rust; other minerals as green, grey, and black. Because that veining is geological rather than printed, every block is unique, and no two objects we cut from it are identical.

Marble is a relatively soft stone — calcite sits at roughly 3 on the Mohs hardness scale, below granite and quartzite — and its calcium carbonate reacts with acids. That softness is what makes it carvable by hand, and what asks for a little care in return. We cover that fully in the care guide.

Travertine

Travertine is a form of limestone deposited by mineral springs, where calcium-rich water reaches the surface, releases carbon dioxide, and precipitates calcium carbonate. That formation leaves its signature: a porous surface of small natural cavities. We work travertine in its cream and biscuit tones, sometimes filled and polished, sometimes left open so the pitting stays visible. Like marble, it is calcium carbonate, so it is cared for the same way.

The headline stones

These are the stones with their own collections — the ones we return to season after season. Every one is Indian marble unless noted. The swatch beside each is one cut of that stone; yours will vary, because the veining is never the same twice.

Cherry Gold — deep oxblood marble with cream-and-gold veining. The burgundy is iron oxide in the stone. Cherry Gold is quarried in the Chittorgarh region of Rajasthan; we do not attribute it to any other quarry.

Emerald — deep green marble shot through with jade and teal veining. One of the most dramatic stones in the catalog.

Sea Grass — dark green marble crossed by red-brown and green veining, more earthen and forested than Emerald.

Honeycomb — warm amber-gold stone, finely speckled, with a glow that reads almost backlit in raking light.

Cloud — soft white marble, near-cloudless and pure, for pieces that should recede rather than announce themselves.

Oyster — pale dove-grey marble, soft and cloudy, the quietest of the neutrals.

Matcha — pale celadon-green marble, milky and soft, a green that behaves like a neutral.

House Party — pink-and-black leopard granite, with warm pink veining drifting through charcoal and cream. A granite, not a marble, and harder for it.

Travertine — cream travertine with the characteristic open pitting described above, cast and carved across trays, boxes, and bowls.

The full stone library

The complete set of stones we work in, organized by sourcing. Quick Source stones are held in regular stock and ship on standard lead times. Advance Source stones are sourced to order and need additional lead time. Availability shifts by season; we confirm the current stone for any piece before it is made.

Swatch	Stone	Type	Character	Sourcing
	Affogato	Marble	Warm grey-brown, softly mottled like coffee stirred into cream	Quick Source
	Biscotti	Travertine	Biscuit-toned, sandy beige with natural open pitting	Quick Source
	Cherry Gold	Marble	Deep oxblood with cream-and-gold veining; from Chittorgarh, Rajasthan	Quick Source
	Cloud	Marble	Soft white, near-cloudless and pure	Quick Source
	Emerald	Marble	Deep green with jade and teal veining	Quick Source
	Havasu	Marble	Ivory crossed by dramatic copper-brown veining	Quick Source
	Honeycomb	Marble	Warm amber-gold, finely speckled	Quick Source
	House Party	Granite	Pink-and-black leopard; pink veining through charcoal and cream	Quick Source
	Matcha	Marble	Pale celadon-green, soft and milky	Quick Source
	Moonrock	Granite	Charcoal, flecked with grey and black	Quick Source
	Oyster	Marble	Pale dove-grey, soft and cloudy	Quick Source
	Sea Grass	Marble	Dark green shot through with red-brown and green veining	Quick Source
	Ardesia	Slate	Near-black; solid, matte, and quiet	Advance Source
	Cinnabar	Marble	Deep red-brown with cream-and-gold veining	Advance Source
	Desert	Marble	Stormy blue-grey with rust and orange veining	Advance Source
	Dolphin	Terrazzo	Warm brown aggregate, flecked with cream	Advance Source
	Fin	Marble	Solid warm grey, even and understated	Advance Source
	Goldspun	Marble	Golden-yellow with flowing darker-gold striations	Advance Source
	Lava	Stone	Terracotta-red with darker speckling	Advance Source
	Metamorphic	Marble	Olive-khaki green with brown inclusions and cream	Advance Source
	Panther	Marble	Black with bold white-and-grey veining	Advance Source
	Pink Puff	Marble	Dusty-rose with swirling cream veining	Advance Source
	Torrone	Terrazzo	Nougat-cream with warm brown chunks	Advance Source
	Travertine	Travertine	Cream, with characteristic open pitting	Advance Source

A few additional stones — Cacao, Soot, and Sweet Tart — appear on individual pieces such as the Taj boxes and Candy Dish.

The metals

Our metal pieces are cast in our own foundry, finished by hand, and made for decorative use. We work in four: solid brass, white brass, bronze, and aluminum.

Cast brass — an alloy of copper and zinc. We leave it unlacquered — no clear protective coat — which makes it a living finish. From the moment it meets air, moisture, and skin, it begins to develop a patina, moving from bright mirror-gold toward warm honey and, over months and years, to a deep antique brown. White brass and bronze are left unlacquered for the same reason. You can let the patina advance on its own, or polish it back toward brightness; the care guide covers both.

Cast aluminum — the lightest and lowest-maintenance of our metals. Aluminum forms a thin, tough oxide layer on contact with air that protects the metal beneath, so it holds its finish with little more than an occasional wipe, while carrying the same sculptural weight of form as our heavier pieces.

From block to object

Most of our stone arrives as remnant blocks — the surplus of larger stone productions — which we work into objects. Each piece is hand-carved or cast, then hand-finished by our team of artisans in Rajasthan, and produced in limited runs. Every object begins with an edge: five signature edges — Scallop, Cord, Athens, Swell, and the clean Slab — define the line and are detailed on Our Signatures. Because the work is made to order from natural, finite stone, the stone shown is the stone you receive: a record of one specific block.

Living with the material

Stone and unlacquered metal are made to be handled. Marble and travertine are calcium carbonate, so they respond to acids and benefit from sealing; unlacquered brass patinas; aluminum largely takes care of itself. The full method — cleaning, sealing, food, etching, and patina — is in the care guide.

Commission a piece in a specific stone

Because we cut from natural stone, a specific colourway can be commissioned across many forms. We produce custom fabrication for interior designers and brands, supply hospitality programs for hotels and restaurants, and create corporate gifts in stone and metal, engraved and packaged to order. To browse by form, start with trays and catchalls, bowls, boxes, or shop by material.

Frequently asked questions

What materials does Anastasio Home use?

Marble and travertine in stone, and solid brass, white brass, bronze, and aluminum in metal. The stone is primarily Indian marble, sourced as remnant stone — blocks and offcuts set aside from larger productions — then hand-finished in our atelier in Rajasthan, India.

Where does the stone come from?

Our stone is quarried in several regions of India and hand-finished in Rajasthan. Quarry regions vary by stone and are confirmed per piece — Cherry Gold, for example, is quarried in Chittorgarh. We do not infer a stone's origin from where it is finished.

What is the difference between marble and travertine?

Both are calcium carbonate. Marble is a metamorphic stone — limestone recrystallized under heat and pressure — and is valued for its veining. Travertine is a freshwater limestone deposited by mineral springs, recognizable by its naturally pitted, porous surface.

Are the pieces made from new or recycled stone?

Most of our stone is remnant material — blocks and offcuts left from larger productions — which is why supply is limited and runs are small. When a stone runs out, it runs out.

Why does every piece look different?

Veining is geological, not applied, so no two pieces are alike. Each object is made to order from one specific piece of stone, and the stone shown is the stone you receive.

What is the difference between the brass and aluminum pieces?

Brass is heavier and unlacquered, so it develops a patina over time. Aluminum is lighter, forms its own protective oxide layer, and holds its finish with minimal care. Both are made for decorative use.