Crema Luna Sainte Croix

Crema Luna Sainte Croix is a French limestone from the area around Sainte-Croix-de-Mareuil in the Dordogne département (Nouvelle-Aquitaine region). The stone shows a calm, warm creamy beige base tone with very fine fossil-rich microstructures and subtle lighter cloud patches — a classic French Pierre de France dimension stone. Petrographically a Jurassic-Cretaceous marine limestone, in the dimension stone trade partly listed as “marble”. At ROSSITTIS we fabricate Crema Luna Sainte Croix into light wall claddings, interior floor coverings, stairs, window sills, façades and carefully planned external components with a classic French dimension stone character.

Petrographisch ein mariner Kalkstein aus der Dordogne (Sainte-Croix-de-Mareuil, Région Nouvelle-Aquitaine, Frankreich) – im Marmorhandel teilweise als „Marmor" geführt, geologisch jedoch ein klassischer Pierre-de-France-Werkstein. Vermutlich Jurassisch-Cretaceousische Sedimentstufen.

Limestone France 2.560 kg/m³

Available as: Slabs, Skirting, Tiles and flooring slabs · 2 of 47 reserved

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About Crema Luna Sainte Croix

Background. Crema Luna Sainte Croix is one of the classic French dimension stones in the Pierre de France tradition. The deposits lie around Sainte-Croix-de-Mareuil in the Dordogne département in the historic region of Périgord (Nouvelle-Aquitaine region, south-west France). This region has been one of the most important French quarry areas since antiquity; many castles, churches, châteaux and farmhouses of the Dordogne are built from local Périgord limestone. In the modern dimension stone trade the selections are sold under various trade names.

Geology. Petrographically, Crema Luna is a marine limestone — the geological attribution in the Dordogne region usually points to Jurassic-Cretaceous stages (around 200 to 100 million years old). The warm cream tones arise from organically bound carbon residues and fine iron oxide pigments. Typical in the grain fabric are fine to medium-coarse biogenic structures — smaller foraminifera shells, echinoderm fragments and occasional coral fragments. The porosity is somewhat higher than in the dense metamorphic marbles (water absorption often in the range of 2–5 %, which varies between data sheets). The bulk density is around 2,560 kg/m³.

Often listed as “marble” in the marble trade. Crema Luna Sainte Croix is sold as “marble” in the international marble trade and in many local ranges, because the material can be polished and in many respects behaves like a marble. Petrographically more correct is the designation “limestone” or “Pierre de France” — the stone has undergone no metamorphic recrystallisation and is therefore not a marble in the strict sense. This distinction in wording is not decisive in design terms, but it is technically important: acid sensitivity and porosity resemble a limestone more than a dense marble.

Appearance. The base tone is a calm, warm creamy light beige — not clinically white, not pronouncedly ochre, but a typically French pierre cream note. Distributed across the ground are subtle light cloud patches and very fine fossil-rich microstructures, which give the slab a soft, almost textile material effect. From a middle distance the surface reads as a calm, continuous cream beige; up close you discover the fine biogenic texture. Compared with the Spanish Crema Marfil (pronounced veining), Crema Luna is calmer and closer to a dimension stone; against Italian Botticino it is denser, but with a similar cream note.

Technical values. Bulk density around 2,560 kg/m³, compressive strength around 104.9 MPa, Mohs hardness 3–4 (calcite-dominated). The water absorption varies between selections and typically lies in the range of 2–4 % — higher than in dense marbles such as Bianco Sivec. Frost resistance is possible depending on the selection and the finish, but for permanent, heavily used external applications it should be checked selection by selection.

The ROSSITTIS range. The surface finishes available in stock are listed in the »Finishes« block further down. From these we fabricate interior floors in large format or tile format, stairs with treads and risers, window sills, wall claddings, façade elements, skirtings and carefully planned interior components. On large wall or floor areas the calm, warm cream note comes into its own particularly powerfully; combined with oak, walnut, brass, bronze and warm wall colours, a classic French premium picture emerges for a château and Périgord atmosphere and for modern Pierre de France architecture.

Comparison. Within the French Pierre de France tradition, Crema Luna Sainte Croix stands alongside other classic selections such as Pierre de Lavoux, Pierre de Bourgogne or Pierre du Périgord. Against denser Mediterranean marbles (Crema Marfil, Botticino) the French dimension stone appears somewhat more matt and more rustic, with less veining; against English or Portuguese limestones it is usually warmer in tone. Against porcelain with a warm creamy look (Optimum Surfaces Taj Mahal 066, GEOLUXE lines), the natural stone remains livelier and more mineral-authentic, but it is more maintenance-intensive (acid-sensitive) and only suitable to a limited extent for the long term outdoors.

An honest assessment. Crema Luna Sainte Croix is an elegant, classically French choice for clients and architects looking for a warm, creamy Pierre de France dimension stone with calm elegance and the architectural tradition of the Pierre du Périgord. It is not a dense, acid-proof dimension stone for carefree kitchen worktops — as a calcite limestone it reacts to acids with etch marks, and the open porosity calls for careful sealing. Anyone who accepts this material character and is looking for a classically French, warm creamy natural stone has in Crema Luna Sainte Croix a very coherent European dimension stone at hand.

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 2.560 kg/m³

Druckfestigkeit 104,9 MPa

Säurebeständig Nein

Suitability by application

Suitable with limitations

Bodenbelag △ Limited
Außenbereich △ Limited

Finishes

Crema Luna Sainte Croix 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.

Geschliffen C220

Mattes Erscheinungsbild durch feinen Schliff mit Körnung C220 — die ebene Oberfläche wirkt ruhig mit etwas intensiverer Farbwirkung als C120, leichte Schleifspuren möglich. Pflegeintensiver als poliert, dafür kratzfester und matt-elegant — beliebte Wahl für moderne Bodenflächen und Wandverkleidungen.

Care & fabrication

Cleaning. In everyday use, warm water, a soft cloth or a clean mop and a neutral to slightly alkaline pH stone cleaner are sufficient. Soapy dimension stone care products and mild all-purpose cleaners without acid are suitable. Take up spilled acidic liquids — wine, citrus juice, vinegar, cola, tomato — immediately, because on this calcite limestone they leave dull etch marks that can only be removed by re-grinding.

Do not use. Acetic and citric acid, limescale and bathroom cleaners, anti-limescale sprays, WC cleaners, concrete and rust removers, highly concentrated all-purpose cleaners and chlorine-based bleaches are off limits. On the light cream note, acid damage is particularly visible.

Sealing. A silane-polysiloxane-based sealer is important because of the higher porosity — it protects the surface against the ingress of water, oil and pigment and is mandatory on floor, stair and façade applications. We recommend the first sealing directly after installation and refreshing it every one to two years, annually in heavily used areas.

Kitchen. On kitchen worktops, Crema Luna can only be used with reservations. Acidic foods leave dull patches without protection. For the actual kitchen working surface with daily acid exposure we recommend more acid-proof alternatives (light quartzite, engineered quartz, porcelain).

Bathroom. In the bathroom it makes sense as a vanity top and wall cladding with a good sealer. In the shower area, wipe off standing water promptly.

Floors and stairs. The classic domain. The surface finishes available in stock are listed in the »Finishes« block further down. Dirt-trapping mats at the entrance markedly reduce the ingress of scratching particles.

Façade. A classic French application. The surface finishes available in stock are listed in the »Finishes« block further down.

Outdoors and frost. Usable with reservations — depending on the selection and with a correctly planned build-up. Consistently avoid de-icing salt in winter, because it attacks the calcite.

Repair. Dull acid marks or scratches can be locally re-ground or re-polished by the stonemason. Deeper damage can be filled with pigmented stone filler.

Frequently asked questions

What is Crema Luna Sainte Croix geologically?

Petrographically a marine limestone, presumably from Jurassic-Cretaceous sediment layers of the Dordogne (around 200–100 million years old). The warm creamy tone arises from organically bound carbon residues and fine iron oxide pigments. The grain fabric contains fine biogenic structures (foraminifera, echinoderms). In the marble trade the material is partly listed as “marble”, but petrographically it is a limestone.

Where does Crema Luna Sainte Croix come from?

From the area around Sainte-Croix-de-Mareuil in the Dordogne département in the Nouvelle-Aquitaine region, south-west France. The Périgord region is one of the classic French quarry regions with a Pierre de France tradition going back to antiquity.

What technical values does Crema Luna Sainte Croix have?

Bulk density around 2,560 kg/m³, compressive strength around 104.9 MPa. The water absorption is selection-dependent, in the range of 2–4 % — higher than in dense metamorphic marbles. Mohs hardness 3–4 (calcite-dominated).

Is Crema Luna Sainte Croix suitable for kitchen worktops?

With reservations. Like all calcite limestones, the material reacts to acids (wine, lemon, vinegar, tomato, cola) with dull etch marks. With a good silane sealer and in the satin or honed version, use on bar counters is practicable; for heavily used working surfaces with daily acid exposure an acid-proof alternative (quartzite, engineered quartz, porcelain) makes more sense.

Which surfaces does ROSSITTIS supply?

The surface finishes available in stock are listed in the »Finishes« block on this page.

Which cleaners may I use on Crema Luna?

Permitted are warm water, neutral to slightly alkaline stone care products and mild all-purpose cleaners without acid. Off limits are acetic, citric and hydrochloric acid, limescale cleaners, anti-limescale sprays, concrete and rust removers, chlorine-based bleaches and solvents.

Is Crema Luna suitable for façades and external applications?

Yes, that is one of the classic applications in the French Pierre de France tradition — but selection-specific and with a correctly planned build-up. The water absorption of 2–4 % calls for a good sealer and structural drainage. Consistently avoid de-icing salt in winter.

Crema Luna Sainte Croix or Crema Marfil?

Crema Marfil from the Spanish province of Alicante is denser and usually has more pronounced banded structures; Crema Luna Sainte Croix from the French Périgord is more matt, calmer and closer to a dimension stone, with a finer biogenic texture. Marfil is usually staged as the more “luxurious” option, Crema Luna as the more “French architectural” one.