New ceramic covering solutions: natural decoration with minerals

In recent years a number of classic covering materials have inspired production of high-tech ceramic surfaces.
The best-known and most popular of these include marble, stone and wood, as well as resin and concrete, which may be applied either indoors or outdoors, clearly revealing the versatility of the unique material that is high-tech ceramic.

In recent years the range of ceramic materials has been expanded with the emergence of new trends and orientations, and the popularity of the mineral world has attracted designers’ attention. 
 

Refined, natural minerals stand out for a series of qualities perfect for adding prestige to contemporary surfaces and to today’s many interior decorating styles.
Above all, their aesthetic variety, accompanied by their original textures including crystals, inclusions and stratification.
All these peculiarities make for unmatched chromatic variety, encompassing both warm and cold hues to create a colour palette unrivalled in any other natural material.
Another of their typical qualities is their glossy finish: factors such as refraction index, optical dispersion and density give minerals a highly variable degree of shine, offering considerable creative potential when applied to surfaces. The final result translates into one of the aspects most popular with fans of design, that is, customisation of spaces.

The great decorative value minerals contribute to spaces of all kinds is another important factor, especially in view of their irregular shapes and textures. This highly characteristic aspect allows us to use the many possible colour combinations to underline effects such as dynamism and depth.

 

While all these aspects contribute to the emergence of the minerals’ aesthetic power, the popularity of these surface coverings is also a result of the evolution of high-tech ceramic, which now perfectly reproduces details and finishes, improving on the natural materials that inspire it in terms of strength, durability and elimination of natural defects.

Ariostea, a leading manufacturer of ceramic materials, has perfected all these effects over the years, including, in 2007, "“ceramic” woods, capable of imitating the natural raw material, as was already the case with stone and marble, but without cutting down any trees, while offering performance capable of guaranteeing even the most extreme applications".

Since the ’60s Ariostea has observed, perfected and produced a variety of materials to offer top-quality ceramic slabs, like those now made of full-body high-tech porcelain, made exclusively from carefully selected natural raw materials.

As it did with woods, marbles and stones, Ariostea now draws inspiration from the world of minerals, in the Ultra Crystal Quartz collection.

Featuring seven particularly delicate hues, the Ultra Crystal Quartz collection offers a range varying from hues of grey to powder blue, white and neutral pink.

"Characterised by the presence of crystallised areas and inclusions that lend the surface a certain depth," the collection stands out for the natural layering emerging from its surfaces.

A great variety of sizes is available, thanks to production of submultiples, offering a great variety of choice for laying schemes, ranging from 300x150 cm maxi-slabs to 150x150 and 75x75 cm squares and 75x37.5 cm slabs, all available with a reduced thickness of 6 mm.

The elegant gloss of the shiny finish ensures the material’s aesthetic appeal and contributes to the versatility of the ceramic surface for a variety of applications.

Ultra Crystal Quartz is perfectly suitable for use in both homes and public or commercial spaces.
Moreover, the ceramic surface is also particularly well suited to architectural projects and customised elements of design and widely appreciated for its wealth of expression, its luminosity, and the decorative soul that emerges from the details typical of the most precious minerals.