Going for Gold… and Silver and Bronze, not to mention Iron and Pewter (all pictured on the right of this page) and the darker Nero Pewter and Nero Gold produced especially to cater for the UK market’s preference for dark colours.

Together they form the new Glitter Galaxy range from Italian manufacturers Santamargherita that is now available from UK national wholesalers Blyth Marble Ltd, based centrally at Worksop, Nottinghamshire, in England and at Larkhall, Lanarkshire, in Scotland, promising rapid delivery from the company’s own fleet of vehicles.

These top quality, top end products from one of Italy’s most respected manufacturers of quartz- and marble-based agglomerates fit in well with Blyth Marble’s philosophy of always having something a little special on offer, as well as the expected blacks and golds in both natural granite and quartz.

The new Glitter Galaxy sits nicely at the top of the range alongside the natural exotics available from Blyth Marble such as Austral Coffee from Australia, and Cafe Imperial and Virginia Mist from Brazil.

To stimulate demand for the new range, Santamargherita has become a Professional Industry Partner of the Society of British Interior Design (www.sbid.org), which has a membership of 1,500 interior designers and architects and provides scholarships and training in conjunction with major universities in the UK. Santamargherita is a support service consultant for the SBID, sharing its expertise in interior design for the benefit of the Society’s members.

To be fully appreciated, Glitter Galaxy needs to be seen and felt. It has a surface depth more readily associated with granite and as Blyth Marble Regional Sales Manager Stephen Burrows says: “It’s a touchy-feely one.”

Processors will especially like it because the sparkle does not come from mirror chips, so it is easier to saw and polish than standard sparkling quartz products that are just not in the same league, although for those who are not quite ready for such an innovative product or are on a tighter budget, Blyth Marble also offer the Santamargherita Starlight range.

Glitter Galaxy is for the discerning client and/or designer who wants something stunningly different to make a statement as worktops and splashbacks, on floors or for shop and office fittings and furniture. Slabs are available at 3,050mm x 1,400mm in thicknesses of 12mm, 20mm and 30mm.

Technical data show Glitter Galaxy has an apparent density of 2250-2350kg/m3, water absorption of 0.1% or less, flexural strength of 30-40MPa, and compressive strength of 100-200MPa. For floors, slip resistance of polished material is 35 dry (3 wet), although it is also available with a honed finish.

Like all Santamargherita products, Glitter Galaxy carries a range of environmental certificates, including the Greenguard emissions certificates.

Stephen Burrows says Blyth Marble have had excellent feedback on the new products from customers and companies Blyth does not usually supply. “It’s a product people are getting excited about,” he says.