faux marble trompe l'oeil

panel of breche violet and yellow sienna

The styles and rails of this faux marble panel are of Breche Violet and the centre is a Sienna faux marble.
Breche violet belongs to the group of brecchiated marbles, and its variegated nature is the result of a bed of marble being crushed into fragments by an upheaval or great pressure. These fragments have then later been cemented together by infiltration of lime and metallic oxides, or become embedded in a marble magma upon cooling.
For these reasons generally the brechiated marbles are considered unsound in varying degrees and unsuited for monolithic columns. Breche Violet is something of an exception being used for columns in the Victoria and Albert Museum and extensive work in the Paris Opera House. In the faux marble trompe l'oeil panel illustrated the pass cut shown is generally reserved for styles and rails. When the cement is grey and not violet the stone is called Serravezza Breccia. Because of expense these marbles are often replicated by the techniques of marbling. Faux marble methods have been in use for many centuries and good examples can be seen throughout the world. A good specialist decorator will produce a marbleized finish that is readily accepted by the eye as the real material.