Carrara Marble Peaks as Russians Follow Etruscans: Commodities

Marble has been mined from the hills near Carrara in Tuscany for more than 2,000 years. The local stone, prized for its delicate veining pattern, was used to build the Pantheon in ancient Rome and Florence’s cathedral.

Today, the richest Russians, Indians and Chinese are buying the world’s most expensive marbles for gem-encrusted fireplaces and kitchen worktops. Demand has tripled in five years and prices, set for individual pieces of rock depending on hardness and color, are rising about 7 percent a year and can be as high as a record 2,300 euros ($2,970) a square meter, traders said.