
Based in Sao Paulo, Brazil, Itaarte Industria e
Comércio de Mármores e Granitos Ltda. expanded its product line with the
acquisition of an onyx quarry in the Andes Mountains of Argentina.
Already known as one of the well-established stone suppliers in Brazil, Itaarte Industria e Comércio de Mármores e Granitos Ltda. of Sao Paulo, has expanded its product line with the acquisition of an onyx quarry in the Andes Mountains of Argentina. The quarry yields stone in shades of blue, caramel, brown and white, and the onyx is processed into a wide variety of finished products.

The quarry site is located in the Cordilheira
dos Andes of Argentina, and it sits high atop the mountains at an altitude of
more than 17,000 feet.

The quarry yields stone in shades of blue,
caramel, brown and white, and the onyx is processed into a wide variety of
finished products, including mosaics.
“With the acquisition of its own onyx quarry, Itaarte comes to be one of the principal suppliers of this semi-precious stone,” explained Silvia De Tommaso, Managing Director of Itaarte. “Each new proposal for design applications - mosaics, tables, ornaments or sink bowls, among others - gains a new refinement due to the natural translucence of this material, which has the color and the spirit of the Andes.

The stone has already been specified for a broad
range of residential applications, such as this countertop facing.

This backlit tabletop is another innovative
application of the onyx products.
Architectural Uses
In examples of the onyx’s popularity among architects and designers, Itaarte reports that the stone was used for a range of high-profile applications, including commercial projects such as corporate reception areas as well as residential applications and furnishings.
Among the completed commercial projects, slabs
of Caramelo Vicunha onyx were used in a backlit format for a trendy reception
area. The design, which was conceived by the prestigious firm of Garage
Arquitetura & Design of Sao Paulo,
Brazil,
intended to be “modern and welcoming.”

In addition to mosaics and slabs, the onyx has
also been used for bowls and sinks.