Caesarstone® 916 Black Eclipse

Within the Lioli Porcelain line, Caesarstone distinguishes — analogously to the Quartz Surfaces tier structure — several sub-tiers: Lioli Classico (calm solid colours and subtle structures), Lioli Supernatural (classic fluid marble veining) and Lioli Supernatural Ultra (premium marble looks with elaborate multi-layered vein drawings). Code 916 marks Black Eclipse as a Lioli Classico design — unlike the related 915 Almond Stone, which tends rather towards the Supernatural range with its fluid veining. Black Eclipse is a deliberately calm, monochrome solid colour version with subtle structures of movement, without dramatic vein drawing.

The design approach quotes layered volcanic rock, lava sediment and slate-like natural materials — no specific stone model is copied; rather, the design captures the aesthetic idea of dark volcanic sediments. The slab pattern shows an almost coal-black ground tone with very subtle anthracite-grey zones of movement — flowing, almost undulating structures that read like gently layered lava strata or softly solidified magma. The surface thus shows depth and movement without tipping over into a dramatic statement look. The ground tone is calm and monochrome, the zones of movement are very quietly accented — an elegant, dark stage with a powerful tonality and without the drama of veining.

It is precisely this combination of a dark tonality and restraint in design that makes Black Eclipse a versatile architectural choice. The material acts as a reliably dark architectural colour in modern kitchens, demanding bathrooms, hospitality and commercial architecture, urban living concepts and prestigious exterior architecture projects. Combined with warm timber (oak, walnut, ash), brushed brass, Corten steel, black steel, glass or warm natural tones, the dark porcelain look develops a contemporary, urban-luxurious atmosphere. The calm vein drawing permits large-scale applications without visual restlessness — for islands, wall claddings and façade elements in particular that is a central advantage in design terms.

Technically it is a fully through-sintered large-format porcelain, manufactured in the classic high-pressure, high-temperature sintering process at Lioli Ceramica. Mineral raw materials (natural clays, feldspars, quartzes and pigments) are pressed under high pressure into large-format slabs and sintered at temperatures above 1,200 °C. The result is a chemically non-reactive, virtually pore-free ceramic material with a water absorption of < 0.1 %. The material properties are those of the premium porcelain class: full UV stability (released for exterior applications), acid resistance (wine, lemon and vinegar leave no etch marks), heat resistance (hot pans can be set down directly), scratch resistance (Mohs hardness 7–8), frost resistance and food safety.

At the factory, Caesarstone produces Black Eclipse in the jumbo large format 1,600 × 3,200 mm in thicknesses of 6 mm and 12 mm. The standard factory surface is “Ultra Rough” — a markedly textured, slightly rough finish that lends the lava sediment character a haptic authenticity. In the ROSSITTIS stock we carry the version with a satin-honed surface — a matt-smooth finish that lets the calm, dark pictorial idea read somewhat more supplely and gives a more elegantly restrained character in modern interiors than the textured factory version. Both surfaces are valid options in design terms.

At ROSSITTIS we currently carry Black Eclipse as 21 large-format slabs in 12 mm thickness with a satin-honed surface. On request we produce from these kitchen worktops, islands, vanity tops, wall and floor tiles, outdoor kitchen counters, pool surrounds, façade elements, table surfaces and project-specific special cuts for interior and exterior applications.

Important to note with dark porcelain materials: limescale veils, limescale splashes and pale fingerprints are visually markedly more apparent on the almost black ground tone than with lighter materials. That is not a material weakness but a consequence of the dark tonality — with regular care the surface remains permanently controlled and powerful.

For anyone comparing Black Eclipse with other materials: stylistically close are natural materials such as basalt, black slate, lava stone (Pietra Lavica) and dark volcanic rocks — all geologically authentic, but in part more care-intensive or limited in exterior use. Among the porcelain competition, Laminam Calacatta Black, the Lioli Porcelain Black line, Optimum Surfaces Concrete Graphite 007 (lighter, more concrete-oriented) and the Florim Black range offer similar dark porcelain designs. Caesarstone's Lioli Porcelain Classico version is distinguished by a particularly calm vein drawing and the volcanic concept of movement.

Our honest assessment: Caesarstone 916 Black Eclipse is an outspokenly elegant choice for projects looking for a dark, monochrome, calm porcelain with a subtle volcanic effect of depth — with full material robustness for indoors AND out. Anyone looking for maximum geological authenticity should reach for genuine slate or basalt. But anyone who wants the calm, powerfully dark lava image in an easy-care, heat- and acid-resistant large-format quality — and is planning flexible indoor and outdoor applications — will find a particularly successful solution here.