The different kinds of marble are not arranged in layers, but blend with one another like the colors of the rainbow. A little sandy coating covers the blocks, and divides each from the other.

And calacatta is one of the world's most expensive types of marble. It's more than double the price of carrara marble, yet mined in the same mountains. But the key to calacatta's price is its rarity.

While there are colors that pair best with certain types of marble, sometimes the best approach is to look at your countertops to see which colors are present through the veining for a more ...