Recently, I went to Marble, CO, to visit the Colorado Yule quarry. The site produces beautiful high-quality white marble. I had actually visited this quarry more than 15 years ago, and a lot has changed since then.

The quarry has a storied past. After several ownerships, it was purchased by Italian-based R.E.D. Graniti in April 2013. For years, those working the site were unable to produce large blocks due to the marble's soft sugary consistency. But with R.E.D. Graniti's expertise, that has all changed.

Colorado Yule quarry

With nearly 50 years of experience in quarrying and processing natural stone, Italian-based R.E.D. Graniti brought in its leading quarry experts to assess the Colorado Yule quarry in Marble, CO, and today high-quality white marble is now being produced.

With nearly 50 years of experience in quarrying and processing natural stone, R.E.D. Graniti brought in its leading quarry experts to assess the site and to determine if there was viable material. It was particularly interesting to me to see the old quarry entrance, which I was told will be closed in the next year, and to see the new entrance where high-quality marble has been discovered.

Daniele Treves, general manager, and Stefano Mazzucchelli, quarry master, explained to me that a great deal of strategy and investment was needed to turn the Colorado Yule quarry into a success. A large investment was made in equipment. Additionally, a new road was built to allow access to the new part of the quarry.

The new area of the quarry is referred to as the "Lincoln Gallery," and the material is much harder than the marble that had been extracted from the old site. Colorado Stone Quarries -- the company name given to R.E.D. Graniti's latest endeavor -- reports a high demand for the new material. It will continue to work to utilize the quarry to the best of its potential.

The current success being achieved in the extraction process couldn't come at a better time. White marble countertops remain a "hot" trend for interior designs. Colorado Stone Quarries' sister company, Vermont Quarries, which produces Danby white marble, has experienced the boom. And with R.E.D. Graniti's know-how, material coming from the Colorado Yule quarry is also now in high demand.    

Advances in technology and the experience of stone producers such as R.E.D. Graniti allow for continual product development, which ultimately, offers more options for today's designs.