With the wealthy of Europe making a bee-line for London, marbles are becoming a more important part of the mix on offer from London wholesalers Stone World all the time.

And, for the top end of the market, the more exclusive and exotic it is the better.

Even at the higher volume end of the market marble is getting a second look as more people refurbish their bathrooms and add feature walls to living areas. Bars and nightclubs also want to distinguish themselves with more distinctive materials than the now commonly seen dark granites.

In this sector, it is the whites that are most popular and which are starting to catch up with granites as best sellers in the Stone World range.

“People are looking for a good price but they are ready to spend more for a material that is going to last a long time and add considerable distinction and grandeur,” says Bina Agarwal.

Lighter colours are also popular in kitchens but most people do not believe marble is practical for kitchens. Here, engineered quartz provides the solution, with light colours (indeed, a whole range of colours to co-ordinate with any theme) available in a product that is as hard as granite.

Stone World’s quartz offering comes from Stone Italiana, one of the pioneers of quartz at the end of the 1970s. Stone Italiana has stayed in front of the game with continual innovations ever since.

The latest is the top-of-the range sparkling Oro collection introduced by Stone World last year. Its glitter comes from flecks of metal in the matrix rather than pieces of mirror. It is not cheap but it is highly desirable.