Limestone

Listed in our range under Marble.

Bianco Perlino

Bianco Perlino (also 'Asiago Bianco', 'Perla Bianco', 'Perlino Bianco', 'Pietra di Asiago' or 'Biancone di Asiago') is a creamy ivory-coloured Italian platform limestone from the Asiago/Trento quarry district in the Venetian foothills of the Alps (Veneto/Tre Venezie) – traded internationally as 'Italian marble'. The slab shows a warm creamy ivory ground tone with subtle pearlescent shimmering calcite lightenings (the eponymous 'perlino' feature) and fine grey stylolitic veins. At ROSSITTIS we fabricate Bianco Perlino into classic internal floors, stairs, wall claddings, window sills, bathroom installations and Mediterranean-elegant accent elements with a warm northern Italian natural stone character.

Petrographisch ein unterkretazischer Plattformkalkstein aus dem Hochplateau von Asiago (italienisch „Altopiano dei Sette Comuni") in der Provinz Vicenza/Trento, in den venetischen Voralpen, Italien. Geologisches Alter: 130 – 145 Millionen Jahre. Im internationalen Steinhandel wird die Sortierung als „italienischer Marmor" geführt – das ist eine kommerzielle Klassifikation, kein geologischer Marmor-Begriff. DNSA-Eintrag: ASIAGO BIANCO #1988. Verbreitete alternative Handelsnamen: „Asiago Bianco", „Perla Bianco", „Asiago Perla Marina", „Perlino Bianco", „Pietra di Asiago", „Biancone di Asiago". Mineralogisch dominiert Calcit – damit voll säureempfindlich. Das gestalterisch prägende Identifikationsmerkmal sind die perlmuttartig schimmernden Calcit-Aufhellungen (die namensgebenden „perlini"). WICHTIG: NICHT frostbeständig (DNSA-Notiz) – nur für Innenanwendungen geeignet.

Limestone Italy 2.700 kg/m³

Available as: Slabs, Skirting, Tiles and flooring slabs

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About Bianco Perlino

Background. Bianco Perlino is one of the most established northern Italian dimension stones and belongs to the classic family of pale Alpine platform limestones. In the international stone trade the selection is offered under several regional trade names: 'Bianco Perlino', 'Asiago Bianco', 'Perla Bianco', 'Asiago Perla Marina', 'Perlino Bianco', 'Pietra di Asiago' and 'Biancone di Asiago'. In the DNSA (German Natural Stone Archive) the stone is documented as 'ASIAGO BIANCO' with entry number #1988. The selection has been used in northern Italian and Central European architecture for centuries and is marked in the DNSA as 'occasionally used in Germany'.

Geology and occurrence. Petrographically, Bianco Perlino is a Lower Cretaceous platform limestone – a sedimentary carbonate rock deposited during the Lower Cretaceous (around 130 – 145 million years ago) in a warm tropical shelf sea of the Adriatic-Tethyan carbonate platform. Characteristic are the fine pearlescent shimmering calcite lightenings that gave the selection the name 'perlino' (Italian for 'small-pearled'). These 'pearls' arise through secondary calcite replacement of fine fossil shells during diagenesis. The deposits are located in the Asiago quarry district on the Asiago plateau (Italian 'Altopiano dei Sette Comuni') in the Province of Vicenza/Trento, in the Venetian foothills of the Alps.

Trade designation. In the international stone trade Bianco Perlino is traded as 'Italian marble' – a commercial classification that covers all readily polishable pale carbonate rocks. Petrographically, however, the selection is a limestone and not a marble in the narrower sense (that is, not a metamorphically recrystallised carbonate rock like Italian Carrara marble). Mineralogically calcite dominates – the selection is acid-sensitive, polishable and comes with the typical care profile of a limestone. The old DIN classifications INSK 72.4 / 8.6.1 document its historically long establishment as a dimension stone.

Appearance. The ground tone is a warm creamy ivory dimension stone white with a subtle golden shimmer, markedly warmer than pure ice-white marbles and cooler than powerfully fossiliferous selections such as Perlato Sicilia. Characteristic pearlescent shimmering calcite lightenings (the 'perlini', often 5 – 30 mm in size) are distributed across the face – the defining design feature of this selection. Accompanying them are fine to medium-wide grey stylolitic linear structures that give the stone image structure with soft courses. From a medium distance the selection reads as almost monochrome warm cream with subtle movement; close up one discovers the fine pearlescent depth of the calcite areas. Stylistically, Bianco Perlino resembles the Sicilian Perlato family (the same calcite-pearl look), but differs through its lighter and calmer tonality without the powerful fossil movement of the Custonaci selections.

Technical properties (DNSA #1988). Bulk density 2,700 kg/m³, compressive strength 185 MPa (128 MPa after frost – a marked reduction), flexural strength 12.56 MPa, water absorption 0.11 % (very low), Mohs hardness around 3 – 4 (calcite). This places the stone in the more stable range of the Italian platform limestones. Acid sensitivity: complete (calcitic) – vinegar, wine, lemon, tomato and cola leave etch marks on the material surface immediately. IMPORTANT: frost resistance is NOT given – DNSA note 'not frost-resistant'. Bianco Perlino is therefore clearly to be classified as an internal stone and is NOT suitable for direct external exposure to the weather.

ROSSITTIS range. The finishes currently available from stock are listed in the »Finishes« block further down this page. From the slabs we fabricate internal floors in large format or classic tile format, stairs with treads and risers, wall claddings, bathroom installations (vanity tops, wall and floor tiles, showers with professional waterproofing), window sills, skirtings, bar counters, buffet and furniture tops and – with an acceptance of the acid sensitivity – kitchen worktops.

Comparison. Within the Italian pale limestone family, Bianco Perlino positions itself as the warm ivory-coloured, calm, pearlescent shimmering selection. Related Perlino selections are Perlino Rosato (with a pink tone) and Perlino Bianco. Stylistically similar pale Italian limestones are Botticino Classico (Lombardy, lighter with fine veining), Perlato Sicilia (Sicily, more powerfully fossiliferous with shell fragments), Crema Marfil (Spanish, calmer without the perlino effect) and Cleopatra Creme (Egyptian, sunnier and more monochrome). Within the Venetian dimension stone family, related selections are Pietra di Asiago Grigio and Pietra di Vicenza.

A frank assessment. Bianco Perlino is the ideal choice for any internal application where a calm, elegant creamy ivory natural stone character with a characteristic pearlescent shimmer is wanted. The selection performs particularly strongly as an internal floor in prestigious living spaces, stairwells and hotel lobbies, as a wall cladding in Mediterranean-elegant schemes and as a bathroom installation. Anyone seeking a frost-resistant stone for external applications should switch to polishable quartzites or hard rocks; anyone wanting an acid-resistant stone for heavily used kitchen worktops should turn to a quartzite (Crema Bahia, Mont Blanc) or a porcelain with a creamy warm character.

Technical data

Guide values for the stone type, taken from manufacturer and test reports. Natural stone is a natural product — individual batches and slabs can differ. For critical applications, request slab-specific test data.

Rohdichte 2.700 kg/m³

Druckfestigkeit 185,0 MPa

Biegezugfestigkeit 12,6 MPa

Wasseraufnahme 0,11 %

Säurebeständig Nein

Suitability by application

Suitable with limitations

Bodenbelag △ Limited

Finishes

Bianco Perlino is available in a range of finishes. The finish affects appearance, feel and the care it needs.

Satiniert

Die Oberfläche wird gebürstet — weichere Minerale werden gezielt entfernt, es entsteht eine subtile Tiefe und mattes Erscheinungsbild. Besonders geaderte Kalksteine erhalten so eine charaktervolle Optik und Haptik. Die mattere Veredelung kaschiert kleine Ätzungen besser als poliert und ist alltagstauglicher für stark beanspruchte Innenflächen.

Getrommelt

Durch Reibung mit Gesteinszugaben und Wasser in einer rotierenden Trommel entsteht eine matte Oberfläche mit leicht angebrochenen Kanten und satinähnlicher Haptik. Wirkt natürlich gealtert. Geeignet ausschließlich für Wand- und Bodenfliesen, nicht für Rohplatten — Standardwahl für mediterrane und antikisierte Gestaltungskonzepte.

Care & fabrication

Cleaning. In everyday use, warm water, a soft cloth or a clean mop and a pH-neutral natural stone cleaner are sufficient. Mild all-purpose cleaners without an acid content and mild washing-up foam are suitable. Take up spilled liquids promptly – the material is acid-sensitive, and every drop of vinegar, wine, lemon, tomato or cola can leave an etch mark on the material surface.

Do not use. Acidic cleaners of any kind – descalers (vinegar, citric acid, formic acid), sanitary cleaners with an acid content, WC cleaners, wheel cleaners, oven sprays. Even diluted acids etch calcite rocks immediately and leave matt patches that can only be remedied by professional repolishing. Aggressive scouring pads or abrasive pastes are likewise out of the question.

Sealing. Recommended for all applications with a risk of water or soiling – bathroom, kitchen, entrance area. A premium sealer with stone protection on a silane/siloxane basis protects against grease, oil and water stains, but it cannot remove the acid sensitivity. The sealer should be refreshed regularly (every 2 – 5 years depending on exposure).

Kitchen and bathroom. In the bathroom usable as a wall and floor tile, vanity top and shower – with professional waterproofing and sealing. Note: anti-limescale sprays and bathroom cleaners with an acid content must be avoided without exception, because they etch the calcite surface matt immediately. In the kitchen, as a worktop, only recommended with restrictions – wine, vinegar, lemon and tomato juice leave visible etch marks on the material surface. Anyone wanting to minimise acid marks should choose a more matt finish with a premium sealer. Floor and stairs. Classic application. With a compressive strength of 185 MPa and water absorption of 0.11 %, Bianco Perlino is fully load-bearing for heavily used entrance areas and staircases in interiors. On pale floors, consistent regular cleaning is important, because traffic marks and small soiling are more visible than on dark selections. For heavily used commercial floor areas we recommend a more matt finish with a premium sealer.

External. NOT recommended. According to the DNSA note, Bianco Perlino is NOT frost-resistant – the compressive strength reduces from 185 MPa to 128 MPa after freeze-thaw cycles, which can lead to material damage with direct external exposure to the weather. We clearly recommend the stone for internal use. If you wish to use the warm ivory look outdoors, you should switch to a porcelain with a creamy marble-look character.

Scratches and repair. Where there are matt patches, etch marks or light scratches on the material surface, a specialist stonemason or jointing contractor can locally refinish the slab with diamond pastes. Deeper mechanical damage can be partly concealed with pigmented calcite-based repair mortars.

Frequently asked questions

What kind of material is Bianco Perlino?

Petrographically a Lower Cretaceous platform limestone from the Asiago plateau (Italian 'Altopiano dei Sette Comuni') in the Province of Vicenza/Trento, in the Venetian foothills of the Alps, Italy. Geological age: 130 – 145 million years ago. In the international stone trade the selection is traded as 'Italian marble'; petrographically the correct designation is limestone. DNSA entry: ASIAGO BIANCO #1988.

What does the name 'perlino' refer to?

'Perlino' is Italian for 'small-pearled' and refers to the characteristic pearlescent shimmering calcite lightenings (the 'perlini'), which arose through secondary calcite replacement of fine fossil shells during diagenesis. This is the defining design feature of all 'Perlino' selections from the northern Italian region.

Which trade names are used for this selection?

The selection is offered under several regional trade names: 'Bianco Perlino', 'Asiago Bianco', 'Perla Bianco', 'Asiago Perla Marina', 'Perlino Bianco', 'Pietra di Asiago' and 'Biancone di Asiago'. All denote the same deposit on the Asiago plateau in the Venetian foothills of the Alps.

What technical values does Bianco Perlino have?

DNSA values (#1988): bulk density 2,700 kg/m³, compressive strength 185 MPa (128 MPa after frost – a marked reduction), flexural strength 12.56 MPa, water absorption 0.11 %, Mohs hardness around 3 – 4 (calcite). Acid-sensitive. IMPORTANT: NOT frost-resistant – suitable for internal applications only.

Is Bianco Perlino frost-resistant?

NO. According to the DNSA note, Bianco Perlino is expressly not frost-resistant – the compressive strength reduces from 185 MPa to 128 MPa after freeze-thaw cycles. The selection is therefore clearly to be classified as an internal stone and is not suitable for direct external exposure to the weather.

Is Bianco Perlino suitable for kitchen worktops?

With restrictions. Wine, vinegar, lemon and tomato juice leave visible etch marks on the material surface. Anyone wanting the warm ivory look in the kitchen should choose the satin-honed variant with a premium sealer. For an acid-resistant kitchen worktop we recommend switching to a quartzite (Crema Bahia, Mont Blanc) or a porcelain with a creamy warm character.

Which cleaners may I use?

Permitted are warm water, all pH-neutral stone and all-purpose cleaners and mild washing-up foam. Out of the question are all acidic cleaners – descalers, anti-limescale sprays with an acid content, WC cleaners, wheel cleaners, oven sprays. Even diluted vinegar or lemon juice leaves matt etch patches immediately, which can only be remedied by professional repolishing.

Bianco Perlino or Crema Marfil?

Both are acid-sensitive pale limestones with an identical care profile. Bianco Perlino (Italian platform limestone from Asiago) reads as livelier and with a subtle shimmer thanks to its characteristic pearlescent calcite lightenings; Crema Marfil (Spanish platform limestone from Pinoso/Alicante) is calmer and more homogeneous with a more even beige colouring and finer, less dominant structures. The choice is a stylistic decision between a pearlescent shimmering Italian effect (Bianco Perlino) and a calm, elegant Spanish effect (Crema Marfil).