Bianco Halayeb.

Bianco Halayeb and New Halayeb come from the same country and answer to the same test sheet; the difference is how much dark mineral the field carries. Bianco runs cleaner and whiter, closer to a true white ground, which makes it the one to specify when the stone must recede and let something else — joinery, art, a darker floor — do the talking.

It behaves like the family: 0.28 % absorption, 26,100 psi in compression, and a face that takes constant traffic without dulling. Interior floors, cladding, stair treads, counters, and external paving in the rougher finishes.

Polished, it brightens and the flecks read as fine punctuation. Honed and brushed hold it matte and calm. Flamed and bush hammered give a secure external face at the cost of some of the brightness.

Supplied as blocks, slabs and cut to size.