You will find on the market a lot of products called 'Stucco' (in the USA even simple plaster is called Stucco). This because this product name is not protected, either in Italy (the language this word comes from) or elsewhere, so everybody can use this name for anything. We suggest that first it must be distinguished what this names means. To date, many products are marketed under the name Stucco sometimes accompanied by terms like: Antico, Lustro, Veneziano, Spatolato or even by names like Marmorella, Marmoris etc. But all this products are understood as imitations (false finishes), that essentially reproduce the optical aspect of Marble but most of them are simply acrylic-based pastes. Some of them are misted up with lime and even some marble powder. And because of this called 'on mineral base'. The only thing, which distinguishes them, is the technique of application but remains imitations all the way.

By applying them, structures or forms (relief, etc.) appear, whether wanted or not. If they are not wanted, a smoothed sanding must be done. For some of these products, sanding is even mandatory in order to ensure the next coat, according to the manufacturer's data sheet, specifically for full synthetic material. Some of these products are mixed with lime, not for its natural qualities recognized in building, but as a filler or binder. The lime, of course, looses its natural properties through this manipulation even when these products sometimes contain some marble powder. This clearly means that the product, even though it has a mineral component, does not become a mineral itself but can then be accompanied by the indication 'with mineral base'. The disagreeable odor of the synthetic in some products is frequently masked by the addition of a perfume, which has very little to do with nature.

It is obvious that decoration products and work techniques of this type have nothing to do with the application of real marble so called Marmorino. They are only optical imitations (false finishing) that have none of the essential properties of a truly natural product.

As for the name Marmorino, it corresponds in Italy to a real definition of a product with exact application specifications. In order to be able to use this term, the product must contain at least 40% marble and no synthetic additive. This is why few competitors use this trade name in Italy. There are names that are close to it which may be misleading, see above, but sounds real Italian.

A glossy surface, whether in marble or even glass, is called 'lustro' in Italian (literally brilliance/luster). This annex name leads to a complementary property of the product. This also means in Italian that the glossy effect is obtained by mechanical application or working of the product itself and not by additives such as wax, varnish etc., which are applied subsequently and must then be polished (still according to the data sheets of the various manufacturers).

The decisive question is: does the client want a purely mineral marble product (not to be confused with natural) which during and after application 're-carbonise' and thus recovers its initial stone form or does he want an imitation. It is his choice.

Rivesto-Marmorino^® fills and has all the properties of a purely mineral product, with the compulsory amount of marble (42%) in order to be able to use the name Marmorino. It is composed of pure marble grains (broken, ground, washed then screened into various grain sizes) bound with slaked lime and water. This procedure respects the multi-century tradition such as it is practiced in Italy - and elsewhere in the world where marble was and is still used - without fraying or joints, without the addition of a synthetic product (which came into existence only in this century). The surface quality (degree of gloss) is not obtained by the addition of wax or varnish, but by mechanical compression during application itself, with a special tool. The worked effects such as fraying, marbling, designs (painting on marble) are set on the product during surface compression and are then irreversible except by destruction. The surface compression with the marble it contains makes it possible to reach an optical effect of depth.

Rivesto-Marmorino^® production is based on the tradition of manufacturers and the transmission of their formulas. The novelty is making it possible to manufacture the natural or tinted marble paste (base product) industrially. These also mean that it is easier to package, ship and store it, and even resist temperatures largely below freezing, and always with the same quality. In this form, without synthetic modification (without the addition of water and without compression), it can be stored almost indefinitely. The same base product is always used, only the color and the grain size can change with respect of the demand.

Application is relatively easy to learn, even though some basic rules linked to the behavior of natural products, especially lime, must be known and strictly respected. Special training is unavoidable and the buyer/designer/architects must ensure that it has been well assimilated. The product must never be sanded during application (except for exterior angles in order to obtain regularity and for repairs), which is very different from partially or entirely synthetic products. The application is clean and dustfree. This particularity is an inescapable requirement for renovation work, and makes a savings in time possible. In addition, the product is permeable and 'breaths' (which means that it absorbs humidity, keeps it and restores it again if necessary) without modifying or attacking its properties. After application, Rivesto-Marmorino^® returns to its original state, namely in the form of stone, resistant to weather, and because of this it can be applied on the exterior too, but it does not support, like every other stone mass, stresses and dilatation. Depending on the case, the underground must be reinforced.

Coloring is also easy, insofar as the tinted pastes are compatible with lime. But in this aspect, the particularities of a natural product must also be respected. Thus, Rivesto-Marmorino^®, cannot be shake for mixing in the color. It must be stirred slowly then the color is added while stirring continues. This process does not take very much time itself, but the mixture must be done at least 3 days in advance so that the base paste can regenerate, that is to say so that it recovers its initial pasty form. In that way it is easier to be applied.