Porcelain

LAMINAM® Calacatta Michelangelo

LAMINAM® Calacatta Michelangelo is a porcelain large-format slab from the Italian premium manufacturer Laminam in an elegant Calacatta marble character, from the I Naturali collection. The polished slab shows a clear pure white ground tone crossed by refined light grey and dove-grey main veins with warm cream to golden beige accompanying lines – stylistically an allusion to the world-famous Calacatta Michelangelo marble from the Apuan Alps, one of the most elegant grades of the Carrara marble family. At ROSSITTIS we fabricate the slabs into heat- and acid-proof kitchen worktops, islands, bar counters, washstands, wall claddings, furniture tops and made-to-measure interior and external components including façades.

Sinterkeramische Großtafel (Sintered Stone) der italienischen Premium-Marke Laminam (System-Gruppe, Fiorano Modenese) aus der I-Naturali-Kollektion – kein gewachsener Naturstein, kein Quarzkomposit und kein klassisches Porzellan. Variante „Calacatta Michelangelo" als gestalterisches Zitat des italienischen Calacatta-Michelangelo-Marmors aus den Apuanischen Alpen mit klarem Reinweiß-Grundton und raffiniert geführten hellgrau-taubengrauen Hauptadern.

Porcelain Italy Frostbeständig 2.200 kg/m³

Available as: Slabs · 3 of 77 reserved

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About LAMINAM® Calacatta Michelangelo

Background. Laminam® is the Italian premium brand for porcelain large-format slabs, founded in 2001 in Fiorano Modenese (province of Modena) as a subsidiary of the System group. Laminam is one of the European pioneers of large-format porcelain and has played a decisive part in shaping the format of thin, large mineral slabs in design terms. The company produces in Italy, supplies architects and interior fitters worldwide and is an established name among German premium kitchen studios and interior architecture practices.

Material structure and manufacture. A Laminam slab consists of around 100 % mineral raw materials – feldspar, quartz, clay minerals and pigments – without polymer binders. The mixture is compacted in a patented pressing process in a mould, provided with decorated pigment layers for the veining and then sintered at temperatures above 1,200 °C in a tunnel kiln. In this sintering the mineral particles partly fuse into a closed crystalline mineral structure – the end product is a fully mineral, through-sintered slab with no resin content. From this follow decisive technical advantages over engineered quartz: water absorption below 0.1 %, very high heat resistance (hot pans can be set down directly), full UV resistance and therefore suitability for external use, frost resistance and almost complete acid resistance.

The I Naturali collection. "I Naturali" ("the natural ones") is Laminam's extensive collection with a natural stone look – including numerous Calacatta, Marquina, Statuario and onyx variants. The line is specifically designed to quote classic Italian and international premium marbles in industrial porcelain – with a breadth and depth of vein composition that comes close to a natural marble, but with the full technical resilience of porcelain.

The natural stone model Calacatta Michelangelo. Calacatta Michelangelo is one of the most elegant and highest-quality grades of the Italian Calacatta marble from the Apuan Alps in Tuscany. Unlike the dramatically gold-veined Calacatta Oro grades or the white-grey figured Calacatta Borghini marbles, Calacatta Michelangelo sits in the middle in design terms – with clear white surfaces, refined grey main veins and subtle warm creamy accompanying lines. The model it is named after is famous for its calm elegance and has been used for luxurious foyers, boutique hotel lobbies and prestige private properties, among other things.

The Calacatta Michelangelo variant. The ground tone is a clear pure white with a slightly warm tint, without a dramatic cream-beige cast. Distributed over the ground are refined light grey to dove-grey main veins, which are not drawn regularly but run across the surface in an organically flowing composition. Accompanying these are warm cream to golden beige lines that give the slab additional depth and warmth. The play of veins is considerably more characterful than in the calmest Calacatta grades (e.g. GEOLUXE Dionysos), but less dramatic than in the darkly figured Calacatta Vagli imitations (e.g. CTX BasicQuarz Alaska White). An elegant middle position.

Format and thicknesses. Laminam supplies the slabs in several large formats – the standard format is around 162 × 324 cm and 100 × 300 cm. The thicknesses are graded in 3, 5, 12 and 20 mm; the 3 and 5 mm slabs are particularly suited to wall claddings, furniture fronts, interior doors and façades, while the 12 and 20 mm slabs are standard for kitchen worktops and bar counters (frequently with a mitred edge joint for a visibly thicker look of up to 4–6 cm visible edge).

Thermal and chemical properties. Unlike engineered quartz, there is no polyester resin here – so the typical weaknesses fall away: Calacatta Michelangelo is heat-proof (hot pans can be set down directly, the slab is unaffected well beyond 200 °C), almost completely acid-proof (wine, lemon, tomato, vinegar leave no traces) and fully UV-stable (suitable for external use). Frost and weather resistance are given.

ROSSITTIS range. We carry Calacatta Michelangelo as a polished large-format slab with stock depth – in addition, the Soft Touch (Laminam's own soft matt surface) and Naturale Matt variants are available on request. From these we fabricate kitchen worktops (standard and island with mitred edge), vanity tops, wall claddings (including kitchen splashbacks and bathroom walls), bar counters, reception counters, buffet and furniture tops, interior stairs with treads and risers, window sills and façade elements. The elegant Calacatta character comes across most strongly as an island or bar element; in combination with oak, brass, bronze, light oak timber and matt wall colours, the typical classically restrained premium look emerges.

Comparison. Within the Laminam portfolio, Calacatta Michelangelo belongs to the I Naturali marble collection. Stylistically related are further Calacatta variants from the brand (Calacatta Statuario, Calacatta Onyx) as well as GEOLUXE Dionysos. Compared with real Calacatta Michelangelo marble from the Apuan Alps, the porcelain remains predictable in its vein course, more acid-proof, more scratch-resistant and completely non-porous – the natural marble appears more classic, more lively, more individual, but is care-intensive and acid-sensitive in kitchen use (natural marble reacts to wine, lemon and tomato with etch marks). Compared with Caesarstone engineered quartz grades with a Carrara character (5141 Frosty Carrina, 5000 London Grey), the Laminam slab is more heat-proof and fully UV-stable; the veining is more dramatic.

Guarantee and brand. Laminam offers a lifetime guarantee on its slabs in residential use for material and manufacturing defects. The brand is established across Europe among architects, interior fitters and premium kitchen studios.

Honest assessment. Calacatta Michelangelo is a statement slab for clients and architects who want the luxurious Calacatta character with refined, elegant veining, without accepting the care requirements of a natural marble, and who at the same time want the full technical resilience of a porcelain. Anyone wanting a lively natural play of veins with real geological depth should stay with real Calacatta Michelangelo marble; anyone looking for a predictable, heat- and acid-proof, UV-stable premium large-format slab with an elegant Calacatta staging is outstandingly well served by the Laminam variant.

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 2.200 kg/m³

Biegezugfestigkeit 50,0 MPa

Wasseraufnahme 0,10 %

Frostbeständig Ja

Säurebeständig Nein

Suitability by application

Finishes

LAMINAM® Calacatta Michelangelo is available in a range of finishes. The finish affects appearance, feel and the care it needs.

Poliert

Die einzige glänzende Oberfläche bei Keramik — das Material wird gebrannt und anschließend poliert. Hochglanz mit ausgeprägter Farbintensität und Spiegelung. Im Gegensatz zum polierten Naturstein ist polierte Keramik die empfindlichste Oberfläche dieser Materialklasse — Mikrokratzer können bei intensiver Nutzung sichtbar werden.

Soft Touch

Standardoberfläche im matten Keramik-Segment — das Material wird nach dem Brennen zusätzlich gebürstet. Wirkt deutlich sanfter in der Haptik als naturale matt, mit warmer, taktil weicher Anmutung. Pflegeleicht und fleckenresistent — eine designorientierte Wahl für anspruchsvolle Sichtflächen und Wohnkonzepte.

Naturale matt

Standardoberfläche im matten Keramik-Segment — die Originaloberfläche nach dem Brennen. Plan in der Anmutung, aber haptisch etwas rauer als poliert. Pflegeleicht, kratzunempfindlich und fleckenresistent — die alltagstauglichste Keramik-Veredelung für Küchenarbeitsplatten, Wandverkleidungen und Bodenflächen.

Care & fabrication

Cleaning. In everyday use, warm water, a soft cloth or a clean mop and a neutral to slightly alkaline pH cleaner are sufficient. Mild all-purpose cleaners, mild washing-up foam and all commercially available sanitary and kitchen cleaners without hydrofluoric acid (HF) are suitable. The porcelain is almost completely acid-proof – even acetic, citric and hydrochloric acid have practically no effect on the slab. Take up spilled liquids promptly, because on the light Calacatta surface dark shadows are immediately visible; the material itself, however, is non-porous and therefore stain-proof.

Do not use. Hydrofluoric acid (HF) and fluoride-bearing cleaners are the only class of substance that can genuinely attack porcelain – they occur practically only in industrial glass and stone cleaners and are not relevant in the household. And even though the slab is hard: steel wool and strongly abrasive pads can cause the finest dulling on the polished variant.

Sealing. Not required – porcelain is inherently dense and non-porous, water absorption is below 0.1 %. A sealer would tend to show on the surface as a film and is superfluous.

Kitchen. In kitchen use, Calacatta Michelangelo is technically almost unbeatable: hot pans can be set down directly for short periods (the slab is unaffected well beyond 200 °C), acids such as vinegar, wine, lemon and tomato leave no traces, and there are no cut marks from polyester resin damage, because there is no polyester resin. Nevertheless we recommend chopping boards (knife blades blunt more quickly on the hard slab) and trivets when cooking as standard practice. On the bright white slab, coffee stains, berry juice, tomato and red wine are visually particularly noticeable, but because of the absence of pores they can usually be removed effortlessly.

Bathroom. In the bathroom the slab is fully usable as a washstand, wall cladding, bath surround and shower. Anti-limescale sprays and all commercially available sanitary cleaners are approved. In the shower area, wipe off standing water promptly so that a limescale film does not build up – on the light slab, limescale rims are visible as lighter shadows.

Wall accent and furniture. As a wall cladding or furniture top (bar counter, reception), Calacatta Michelangelo works particularly well in the polished, upright format, because the play of veins develops its full design effect over larger visible surfaces. In thin thicknesses (3 mm), lightweight wall claddings, interior doors and furniture fronts are also possible.

Outdoors and frost. Fully suitable. The slab is UV-stable, frost- and weather-resistant and can be used as a rear-ventilated façade panel, external wall cladding, pool surround and outdoor kitchen worktop. On external surfaces we recommend the Soft Touch or Naturale Matt variant (better slip resistance, limescale rims less visible) rather than the polished one.

Scratches and repair. Porcelain is very hard (about Mohs 7) and therefore considerably more scratch-resistant than most natural materials. Deeper damage cannot simply be re-polished – repair is carried out by replacing the affected workpiece. Particular care is therefore required during fabrication at edges and cut-outs; mitred joints should be executed by experienced specialist firms with special adhesive and precise workshop preparation – with Calacatta Michelangelo additionally with attention to the vein course at the edges.

Frequently asked questions

What kind of material is LAMINAM® Calacatta Michelangelo?

It is a porcelain large-format slab (sintered stone) from the Italian premium brand Laminam (System group, Modena), from the I Naturali collection. Mineral raw materials (feldspar, quartz, clay minerals, pigments) are compacted in a pressing process without polymer binders and sintered at over 1,200 °C in a tunnel kiln. It is not a natural stone and not an engineered quartz, but a fully mineral, through-sintered slab.

What does the name "Calacatta Michelangelo" refer to?

Calacatta Michelangelo is one of the most elegant and highest-quality grades of the Italian Calacatta marble from the Apuan Alps in Tuscany. The variety is famous for its calm elegance with a clear pure white ground tone and refined light grey main veins – in contrast to dramatically gold-veined Calacatta Oro grades or white-grey figured Calacatta Borghini marbles.

What exactly does Calacatta Michelangelo look like?

A clear pure white with a slightly warm tint, crossed by refined light grey to dove-grey main veins and subtle warm cream to golden beige accompanying lines. Stylistically an elegant middle position between calm Calacatta grades and dramatic Calacatta Vagli imitations.

Which slab formats and thicknesses does Laminam offer?

Standard formats are 162 × 324 cm and 100 × 300 cm, in thicknesses of 3, 5, 12 and 20 mm. The thinner thicknesses (3 and 5 mm) are particularly suited to wall claddings, furniture fronts, interior doors and façades; the 12 and 20 mm slab is standard for kitchen worktops and bar counters (frequently with a mitred edge joint).

What is the Soft Touch surface?

Soft Touch is Laminam's own soft matt surface variant – a silky matt shimmering, tactilely particularly pleasant character between polished and naturale matt. It reduces reflections and feels high-quality to the touch without removing the sheen entirely.

How does porcelain differ from engineered quartz (Caesarstone, Silestone)?

Engineered quartz contains roughly 7–10 % polyester resin as a binder; porcelain is fully mineral with no resin content. From this follow three important advantages for porcelain: higher heat resistance (hot pans can be set down directly), full UV resistance (suitable for external use) and almost complete acid resistance. Engineered quartz, in return, remains warmer to the touch and less brittle at the edge joint.

Is Calacatta Michelangelo suitable for kitchen worktops?

Yes – without reservation. Acids (wine, lemon, tomato, vinegar) leave no traces, hot pans can be set down directly for short periods (tolerant beyond 200 °C), the slab is non-porous and very scratch-resistant. Chopping boards are nevertheless sensible – knife blades blunt more quickly on the hard slab.

Is the slab suitable for external surfaces, façades and pool surrounds?

Yes – that is one of the central advantages over engineered quartz. Porcelain is UV-stable, frost- and weather-resistant and can be used as a rear-ventilated façade panel, external wall cladding, pool surround and outdoor kitchen worktop. On external surfaces we recommend the Soft Touch or Naturale Matt variant.