The facts
What travertine actually is
Travertine is classified as freshwater limestone, with the composition CaCO₃. It crystallises in the trigonal system.
Colour comes from iron oxides, which is also what a laboratory looks at when it is asked whether a colour is natural.
Refractive index 1.486–1.658. Specific gravity around 2.4–2.7. Cleavage: none as a rock. Those three numbers separate it from most of what imitates it.
Where travertine comes from
Travertine is produced at Tivoli, Italy, Denizli, Turkey, Iran and Mexico.
The locality is part of the description, not a footnote — two stones of the same weight from two of these places are not the same stone.
How travertine is treated
Filled and honed as standard.
Treatment changes value, sometimes by a multiple, so it belongs in the description before the price and not after the sale.
What travertine is confused with
In the trade travertine is most often mistaken for, or substituted by, Limestone or Onyx marble.
The separation is rarely a matter of opinion: refractive index 1.486–1.658 and specific gravity 2.4–2.7 settle most of it in a minute, and magnification settles the rest.
What travertine is used for
Demand for travertine comes from architecture and interiors, hospitality fit-out and architecture, which is why one price per carat never covers it.
We quote each application in the unit that trade actually buys in, by the square metre.
Durability and care
Travertine is 3–4 on the Mohs scale, with none as a rock cleavage.
Below about 5.5 a stone will be scratched by ordinary household dust, which is largely quartz. That does not make it unusable — it makes it a pendant, an earring or an object rather than a ring worn every day.
Warm water, mild soap and a soft brush. Avoid ultrasonic cleaners on anything fracture-filled, stabilised, dyed or visibly included.
What travertine costs
As a guide, travertine trades around Slabs $25–120/m².
That is a range, not a quote. Colour, size, clarity, cut and origin move the figure a long way inside it, and the only honest price is one given against a specific stone. Send us what you need and we will price it.
Questions
Is travertine treated, and how?
Filled and honed as standard.
Where does travertine come from?
Tivoli, Italy, Denizli, Turkey, Iran and Mexico. Origin affects price, so we name the locality rather than the country on every quote.
Is travertine hard enough to wear every day?
Not really. At 3–4 on the Mohs scale it is softer than the quartz dust in ordinary household dirt, so it scratches with wear. It suits pendants, earrings and objects better than a daily ring.
How much does travertine cost?
Indicatively Slabs $25–120/m². Colour, size, clarity and origin move the price a long way within that, so treat it as a range and ask for a quote against a specific stone.
What is travertine confused with?
Most often Limestone and Onyx marble. A refractive index of 1.486–1.658 and a specific gravity near 2.4–2.7 separate it quickly.
What is travertine used for besides jewellery?
architecture and interiors, hospitality fit-out and architecture. Each of those trades buys it in a different form and a different unit.
Related stones
Looking for travertine?
Tell us the size, the quality and what it is for. We source it, photograph it and quote it — with the locality named.
Ask about travertine