Marble has been used as a material for carvings and crafts for hundreds of years, so there is little surprise that marble and other stone materials have been used to fashion chess sets and boards. Marble is a rock that has resulted from a metamorphism of limestone and dolomite rocks. The natural colour of marble depends on how it is formed and what other elements are in the lime stone. Pure white marble is created when very pure limestone morphs with dolomite protolith.
Marble is a relatively soft rock that can be easily worked and polished. However, more industrial production lines will create products by powdering marble and then mixing it with a resin to effectively create liquid marble that can be moulded or fashioned easily with consistent results. This method also allows it to be artificially coloured in any shade.
There are of course other materials very similar to marble in appearance and feel. Examples include Alabaster, Onyx, quartz and granite. Each of these materials possesses its own unique qualities but they are all naturally occurring minerals.
Onyx became extremely popular some years ago with a multitude of products being made in this tactile and attractive mineral. Onyx chess sets became very popular during the craze for onyx products, these days however they are just one of the many types of chess set on the market.
The Regency Chess Company now stocks a carefully selected range of very high quality Alabaster chess sets from the fine Italian craftsmen at Scali. This renowned producer of alabaster and marble products has been producing finely crafted products for long enough to make them the experts in their field.
The result is a beautiful range of chess sets that have impressed us and our customers. The sets feature both pieces and boards made from Alabaster, polished to a smooth gloss finish. Those in the market for a marble chess set will be extremely satisfied with these fine Italian chess sets.
The Alabaster chess sets are available in a variety of colours. We have chosen to stock the red, brown and of course the standard black and white. The brown set comes in a finely crafted wooden case with soft felted compartments for each piece, and includes a set of draughts pieces.
This range topping set is a superb item of beauty and quality; it is heavy and will certainly see its way through thousands of games before it begins to feel worn. Our range of marble chess sets has grown considerably and we are very proud to be offering some superb products, all sourced from Italy.
Marble is a beautiful, extremely hard natural material that lends itself well to producing chess boards and pieces. We have sourced a stunning range of marble and alabaster chess sets from Italy. Each board is unique due to natural variations in the stone.
Generally speaking, marble chess sets are decorative, ornamental and not used for everyday chess playing, but they make a great gift and are the perfect accessory for any classy home interior.
While marble isn’t the most common material for a chess set it does represent a significant portion of the chess sets we sell. We buy all of our marble and Alabaster chess sets from Italy, where there are strong traditions of turning and working with marble.
Our favourite marble chess set comes from Italfama, one of the world’s finest producers of Italian board game products. We also stock sets from Scali, another Italian company who specialise in working Alabaster into refined luxury items.
