Italian stone supplier Antolini has made a good job of adding value to the stones it supplies to markets across the world.

The Italians cannot compete on price against the Chinese, Indians, Brazillians and other low-wage economies, so are doing so by using their design skills and more sophisticated technology. And with some measure of success.

Antolini is a stone wholesaler that imports and processes block from all over the world. It offers standard lines of stone but also features some of the world's most exotic and semi-precious stones.

Its latest innovation is to add a splash of gold.

Antolini says of its Black Absolute Gold Design: [This] "is a fusion of modern and classical worlds. Lavish golden threads run seamlessly through dark polished granite in a captivating fashion. This detailing evokes a regal sense of modernism that both elevates and inspires."

It ullustrates this with the photograph of the bathroom above.

Black Absolute Gold is the latest addition to the company's Natura Collection that Antolini says is "composed of natural materials that bring an unparalleled form of excellence to any space they are integrated in".