Marble trays and cutting boards made to your size

What kind of marble tray can you have made?

Any size and shape, as long as it can be made from marble. A marble tray, cutting or serving board, pastry board, coasters, a candle holder or a plant stand is always made to order: you choose the size and shape, and we make the piece from real Iranian marble. The shape can be a rectangle, a square, a circle, an oval or an idea of your own.

Tell us at least the following in your quote request:

• Measurements in centimetres: length and width, or the diameter.
• Thickness, if you have a preference. Thickness affects the weight more than most people expect; see the weight table further down.
• Edge, for example straight, bevelled or rounded. If you would like a raised rim or handles, ask and we will tell you whether it can be done in the stone you choose.
• Finish: polished, honed (matt) or brushed.
• Use: whether the piece will be used with food, in the bathroom or for display.

Every piece is unique. It is made to order to your measurements, and marble is natural stone whose veining and shade vary from slab to slab and even within one slab. According to the Finnish Natural Stone Association, lively colour and structure are typical of natural stone. So the finished tray will not look exactly like a photo or another piece, and even the coasters in one set differ from each other.

What is a marble tray good for?

Serving, the bathroom, the hallway and under plants, as long as you know what wears marble. Marble is a soft, calcium-rich stone, so acids, grease and hard objects leave marks on it.

If you already have a marble coffee table or a marble vanity top, you can ask for a tray in a stone of the same style.

Can you cut on a marble cutting board?

It is not a good idea. A marble cutting board is for serving and baking, not for chopping. A hard, rigid surface such as glass, steel or marble damages a knife’s edge, which is why cutting boards are usually made of wood or plastic. The knife marks the stone too: in a worktop test by the Finnish magazine Tee Itse, a knife left a shallow but clear mark on marble.

So use a marble board as a serving and cheese board, a pastry board and a base for food that is already cut. Cut the food on a wooden or plastic board and move it onto the marble to serve. A hard surface is fine for jobs that do not need a sharp knife, such as rolling out dough.

Why is a marble board good for pastry?

Because marble conducts heat well and draws it out of the dough and your hands, which is why it feels cool. According to the Engineering ToolBox table, the thermal conductivity of marble is 2.08-2.94 W/(m·K), while for hardwoods such as oak and maple it is about 0.16 W/(m·K). Marble therefore conducts heat about 13-18 times better than wood. You sometimes read that marble stays cool because it conducts heat poorly; it is exactly the other way round.

A cool, smooth marble board suits rolling out butter and shortcrust pastry, working sugar paste and tempering chocolate. In the Tee Itse test, marble was rated a good surface for kneading pizza dough. Size the board to the sheet of dough you roll out and the space on your worktop, and remember the weight: a 60 × 40 × 2 cm board weighs about 13 kg. If you want a whole baking area in stone, see marble kitchen worktops.

What should you know about using marble with food?

Two things: acids and grease leave marks on marble, and if the surface is sealed, the sealer has to be suitable for use with food.

According to the Swedish Stone Industry Federation, acid marks are cosmetic and do not weaken the stone. They can still be obvious: in the Tee Itse test, lemon juice left on the surface for ten hours clearly damaged the marble, and red wine and pickled beetroot left clear stains.

Sealed or unsealed? A sealer soaks into the pores of the stone and repels water and oil. In a sealer manufacturer’s test, unsealed Carrara marble was marked by oil and coffee within an hour, while the sealed stone showed no change even after four hours. A sealer does not stop acids etching, though. An unsealed board has nothing between the food and the stone, but it stains more easily.

Materials that come into contact with food are covered by EU Regulation 1935/2004: they must not transfer substances into food in amounts that could endanger health or change the food’s composition, taste or smell. If you seal a food board yourself, choose a product that its manufacturer declares suitable for food contact; the Natural Stone Institute advises using a non-toxic product on surfaces used with food. When you order a board for food use, say so in your quote request and ask whether the surface has been treated and with what.

How much does a marble cutting board or tray weigh?

More than most people expect: every centimetre of thickness weighs about 27 kg per square metre. Suppliers declare densities of about 2.65-2.77 g/cm³ for Iranian marbles (Persian Silk and Pietra Grey). We calculated the weights in the table with 2.7 g/cm³, so a cubic decimetre of marble weighs about 2.7 kg.

You can work out the weight yourself: multiply length × width × thickness in decimetres and then by 2.7 to get kilograms. For example, 40 × 25 × 2 cm is 4 × 2.5 × 0.2 = 2 dm³, or about 5.4 kg. The weight is also an advantage: a heavy board stays put while you roll out dough.

Coasters, candle holders and plant stands: tell us what you need

We also make smaller and less usual objects in marble. Tell us what you need and we will tell you the options.

Marble coasters

You can ask for a set of coasters from the same slab, so that they look like a set but each one is different. The Natural Stone Institute advises using coasters especially under alcoholic drinks and citrus juices, because they etch calcium-rich stone. The same goes for a marble coaster itself: a drink with a slice of lemon can leave a dull ring on it. On a honed finish such marks show less than on a polished one. If the coasters will sit on a wooden table, felt pads underneath protect the table.

Marble candle holder

A candle needs a flat base or a holder with a recess for the candle. Tell us the candle’s diameter and the height you would like, and we will tell you what kind of holder is possible in the stone you choose.

Marble plant stand

A plant stand looks striking but is heavy: a solid 25 × 25 × 70 cm column weighs about 118 kg. Tell us how tall and wide you are thinking and what size of pot will stand on it, and we will work out together how best to make it.

Which marble style suits a small piece?

Any style, but the scale of the veining and the finish decide how the piece looks in use. Marble comes in many colours, vein patterns and finishes, and the styles are presented in the guide to marble types and colours.

• Scale of the veining. A coaster or small tray shows only a small part of a slab’s pattern. With a boldly veined stone, one coaster may get a wide vein and the next none at all, while a finely veined or almost plain stone looks more even across a set.
• Finish. According to the Finnish Natural Stone Association, a polished surface brings out colours and patterns. According to Natural Stone Institute experts, etch marks show less on a honed surface than on a polished one, so a honed finish is practical for food boards and coasters.
• Colour. A dull etch mark stands out most on a dark, shiny surface, because the contrast is greatest. A light stone, on the other hand, shows coloured stains.

Iranian marble comes in cream, silver grey, dark grey and black, for example, as the Iranian marble page explains. Tell us the shade and veining you are after and we will suggest stones. Your quote states which stone the piece will be made from.

How do you care for a marble tray?

Wash it by hand with a mild, neutral detergent, rinse it and dry it. The Natural Stone Institute advises cleaning stone with a neutral cleaner, stone soap or mild washing-up liquid and warm water; too strong a solution leaves a film and streaks.

• Blot spills straight away with kitchen paper. Wiping spreads them.
• Avoid acidic products such as vinegar and lemon, also when cleaning.
• Do not use abrasive powders or creams, as they can scratch.
• Do not use the board as a trivet. The Natural Stone Institute recommends a separate trivet or mat under hot dishes on stone surfaces, and the same applies to a marble board itself.
• Grease stains are dissolved out, and stains that have soaked deep are drawn out with a poultice. The guide to marble cleaning and care explains how.
• Etch marks do not wash off, but they can be honed and polished away.

Why acids etch marble is explained in the guide to marble properties.

What affects the price of a marble tray?

Above all the size, thickness and stone, and on top of those the shape, edges and finish.

• Size and thickness decide how much stone is needed: a 40 × 25 × 2 cm tray contains 2 dm³ of stone, a 60 × 40 × 2 cm pastry board 4.8 dm³.
• Stone. Different stones have different prices.
• Shape. A circle, an oval or a shape of your own takes more cutting than a rectangle.
• Edges and details, such as a rounded or bevelled edge, a raised rim, handles or a candle recess.
• Finish: polished, honed or brushed.
• Number of pieces, for example a set of coasters.
• Delivery: sending the piece or bringing it to you.

You get the price in your quote. When you tell us the measurements, shape and style, the quote shows the price and the stone.

How do you order a marble tray?

Tell us the size and shape, accept the order confirmation, and in about 6 weeks the piece is ready.

1. Send a quote request with the measurements, shape, style and use, ideally with a picture. If the tray is meant for a particular spot, such as a shelf or a window sill, measure the spot; the measuring guide has tips.
2. You get a quote showing the price and the stone the piece will be made from.
3. Before making starts, you get an order confirmation listing the measurements, stone, thickness and edges. You check it and accept it in writing.
4. Making takes about 6 weeks from the confirmed order. There are no ready-made trays on the shelf: each one is made to order.
5. When the piece is ready, we send or deliver it to you. No installation is needed.

Payment details are included in the quote and the order confirmation. The full sequence, from quote to dispatch, is on how to order.

Can you return a marble tray?

No, because the tray is made in the size and shape you choose, but your statutory rights still apply. Trays, boards and stands have no 14-day right of withdrawal under the Finnish Consumer Protection Act (kuluttajansuojalaki), because the size and shape are your own specification: the law gives no right of withdrawal for goods made to the consumer’s specifications (chapter 6, section 16(1)(3)).

You can still cancel the order before delivery. You then pay the real costs the cancellation has caused, which depend on how far making has gone. Liability for defects applies as in any other purchase: if a piece is faulty, you can report it within two months of noticing the defect, and you choose whether the piece is repaired or replaced. If anything worries you, tell us: we do everything we can to make you happy. Read more in the order terms.