White Onyx does the trick of feeling instantly calm and bright by turning ordinary walls and counters into softly glowing features. The stone is quarried mainly in Iran and shows a snow‑white body with faint honey or grey lines. Limited deposits, slow extraction, and meticulous polishing raise its value, so architects use it only where a clear focal point is needed. Hotels, jewellery shops, and high‑end homes all choose this premium material to achieve what many call “quiet luxury.” Let’s explore why designers continue to favour this elegant stone worldwide.
When quality matters, selecting the right partner makes all the difference. JAM Stone Co. has spent years mastering the sourcing and finishing of White Onyx. By owning quarry rights, running advanced bridge‑saws, and operating in‑house polishing lines, the firm controls each step of production. ISO‑based checks, CE markings, and smart export logistics help architects, wholesalers, and project managers receive slabs that match drawings and deadlines. With clients across Europe, the GCC, and East Asia, JAM Stone Co. reassures buyers that every shipment meets the high standards expected on quality‑driven builds.
White Onyx belongs to the calcareous onyx family—a very fine form of calcite that forms from mineral‑rich springs. Traders also call it Persian White Onyx or Bianco Onice. Up to 20 – 40 % of light passes through a polished two‑centimetre slice, allowing dramatic back‑lighting effects. Strong under compression yet only Mohs 3, the stone needs careful handling. Because pure blocks are scarce, each clean slab carries prestige and often becomes the hero finish in premium interiors.
Laboratory tests place bulk density around 2.55 to 2.65 g cm‑³ and compressive strength of 120 – 150 MPa—figures that rival many marbles. Water absorption stays under 0.5 percent, yet factories still vacuum‑fill micro‑pores with clear resin for strength and stain control. While the stone bends well across short spans, it scratches easily, making felt pads and cutting boards a must in everyday use.
White Onyx is made of over ninety‑five percent calcite with tiny traces of aragonite and iron oxide. Pores are mostly closed, running under 1.5 percent, so the matrix looks compact. Sparse ferric minerals add the occasional honey streak, while crystal bands grow in rhythmic layers from mineral‑rich spring water.
The base tone of Persian White Onyx ranges from pure snow‑white to very pale ivory, creating a clean canvas for design. Veins are thin, beige‑gold, and widely spaced, giving a cloud‑like look when slabs are book‑matched. Strong back‑lighting deepens the colour of these threads, turning them into glowing filaments that draw the eye.
Measured bulk density averages 2.55 to 2.65 g cm‑³ and water absorption stays below 1 percent. Most pores are closed, but the few micro‑voids receive clear resin, which increases polish reflectance and blocks stain‑carrying liquids. This treatment also evens out surface tone so no dark shadows show through.
On the Mohs scale, the stone sits between three and 305, so kitchen knives and gritty shoes can leave marks. Compressive strength of 120–150 MPa handles static loads well, while flexural strength of about 8 to 12 MPa supports standard twenty‑millimetre countertop spans when the substrate is sound.
Common inclusions include narrow calcite seams, tiny stylolites under half a millimetre, and the odd cloudy patch. Acceptable commercial slabs show these in limited areas. Premium grade demands uniform whiteness, no visible seams, and edge chips smaller than two millimetres after polishing.
Designers prize the stone’s ability to diffuse soft, even light, turning vertical panels into glowing art pieces. Gloss readings exceed eighty‑five units after factory polishing, yet a honed finish can be ordered for a matte, paper‑smooth look. Indoors, colour stability is excellent; outdoors, UV can yellow resin and strong freezes may crack filled pores. As calcite, the material etches on contact with acids, so owners must seal it regularly and wipe spills at once.
Translucency lets 20 to 40 % light pass through a twenty‑millimetre slab, creating warm, lamp‑like panels. Veins appear brighter under LED arrays, while the pure background stays calm. Polished surfaces give mirror reflections; honed textures soften glare without killing the signature glow.
After resin fill and fine grinding, the face feels silky and cool, with almost no micro‑pitting. Brushed finishes add gentle undulations that catch side‑light. Despite the smoothness, the stone stays pleasantly tactile, encouraging touch in reception desks or vanity surrounds.
Indoors, colour holds steady because iron content is low. Outside, wide thermal swings or frost can stress resin joints. In hot sun, UV may slightly yellow filled areas after many years, so façade use is not recommended in harsh climates.
With over ninety‑five percent CaCO₃, Persian White Onyx reacts quickly to weak acids like lemon juice, leaving dull spots. Solvent‑based penetrating sealers reduce penetration but do not stop etching, so regular resealing every 6 to 18 months and prompt cleaning are vital.
Producers usually cut Bianco Onice slabs around 2.5 metres long by 1.6 metres wide at twenty millimetres thick. Thirty‑millimetre options exist for heavier countertops or stair treads. Tiles, mosaics, and custom cuts allow versatile layouts, yet very large exterior pavers are rare because the stone scratches and cannot handle heavy traffic outdoors.
Standard gangsaws deliver panels measuring 2,200–2,600 mm in length and up to 1,600 mm in width, trimmed to twenty‑ or thirty‑millimetre thickness. Factories grade each slab for colour, vein consistency, and resin clarity before assigning it to premium or commercial bundles destined for the export floor.
Fabricators water‑jet larger slabs into neat 600 × 600 mm squares or 600 × 1,200 mm rectangles. These white onyx tiles arrive bevel‑edged, resin‑filled, and calibrated for flush installation, letting installers create continuous, light‑reflective floors or wall panels with tight two‑millimetre joints.
Design studios often request vanity white onyx tops, stair risers, or curved reception fronts. Using five‑axis CNC routers, shops shape pieces exactly to CAD drawings, then number each part so on‑site crews can position the glowing surfaces without complex scribing.
Small 25 × 25 mm chips are mounted on mesh sheets, giving a light‑catching accent that weighs little and fits tight curves. Resin fill ensures edges keep their gloss even at this miniature scale, while the sheet format speeds up wall installation.
Outdoor pavers are uncommon because the stone is soft and can scratch or weather. Where used in warm, dry climates, tiles sit on stable concrete pads and receive extra sealant to block staining, but heavy vehicles should still be kept away.
Matching skirting strips 100 mm high protect walls from bumps and hide expansion gaps. They carry the same polish as adjacent slabs, giving a continuous glow from floor to feature wall and allowing designers to maintain a narrow colour palette.
Quarry blocks of Persian white onyx range from 1.8 to 2.7 metres long, 1.2 to 1.8 metres high, and about 1.3 metres deep, weighing eight to eighteen tonnes. However, it applies only to exceptional, fracture-free lots. Each block is graded on whiteness and veining so cutters can align slabs for maximum yield and book‑match potential.
White Onyx finds its best home in statement pieces where light can pass through it. Back‑lit hotel reception walls, bar fronts, and luxury bathroom claddings all gain a gentle, even glow. In low‑traffic residential floors, resin‑reinforced tiles create bright, spa-like corridors, while fireplace surrounds and stair risers add subtle drama. Outdoor paving or cold‑climate façades are not advised because frost and UV can stress the filled pores and alter colour.
Supply, purity, and processing decide the price of this premium stone. Top‑grade slabs command higher rates than commercial blocks, and thicker or larger panels push costs further. Added treatments like leather finishing and long export routes also raise budgets, so buyers should match project needs with available grades.
Extra‑white onyx slabs with no seams or colour shifts can cost up to forty percent more than standard stock because quarry yield of flawless blocks is low and demand from luxury projects stays high.
Big, clean blocks give more full‑size slabs per tonne, cutting waste and labour per square metre. Small or fractured blocks drive prices up since extra cuts and resin add time and cost during processing.
Vacuum resin, mirror polishing, and precision edge calibration add ten to fifteen percent to the final bill. These steps raise gloss, reduce chipping, and make installation quicker, saving labour later on site.
Book‑matched pairs, leather textures, or waterjet‑cut motifs require extra shop hours and specialist tooling, so they sit in a higher price bracket than simple polished faces ordered in bulk.
Standard twenty‑millimetre slabs of Persian white onyx remain the most affordable. Thirty‑millimetre or extra‑large panels weigh more and need stronger crates, adding roughly twenty percent to both factory and freight costs.
Freight from Bandar Abbas to European ports can add twenty‑five to forty US dollars per square metre. Limited sailing slots, fuel surcharges, and customs duties all feed into the landed price buyers finally pay.
Diamond‑wire saws cut blocks from Iran’s Semnan province quarries, where colour and translucency are quickly reviewed under natural light. Selected blocks of Bianco Onice travel to Isfahan’s industrial zone, where gangsaws slice them into slabs that undergo vacuum resin fill and multi‑stage polishing up to 1,200 grit. Quality control checks thickness, gloss, and light diffusion before workers spray protective film, strap slabs to hardwood A‑frames, and load them into containers fitted with moisture absorbers. Logistics teams then book sea freight and issue packing lists so customs clearance moves smoothly.
Installers should use white cement‑based thin‑set or clear epoxy adhesive to avoid dark shadows under the translucent body. Keep grout joints to two millimetres and choose non‑sand epoxy grout for a seamless look. Penetrating sealers may require 6- to 18-month re-application depending on formulation, UV exposure, and foot traffic. Owners must wipe acidic liquids immediately, avoid abrasive pads, and place felt pads beneath furniture. Chopping boards and soft cloths extend the glossy finish, while regular pH‑neutral cleaning keeps the surface bright without streaks.
JAM Stone Co. maintains full control from quarry face to export crate. Integrated operations, in‑house quality labs, and five‑axis waterjet cutters let the company deliver batch consistency on every order. As a seasoned supplier of Bianco Onice, JAM Stone Co. combines local quarry rights with advanced machinery, giving architects reliable access to slabs that meet precise colour and translucency criteria within tight lead times.
Global buyers trust JAM Stone Co. thanks to multi‑stage inspections that check visual grading, thickness, and edge accuracy at three production points. Compliance with ISO 9001 and CE standards, plus an export track record across the GCC, Europe, and East Asia, confirms professionalism. Flexible MOQs suit boutique residences and megaprojects alike. As an experienced exporter of Perisan white onyx, the firm also offers client‑specific cutting and delivers crates, bundles, or full containers through multiple international ports.
The Semnan quarry lies within the Daryacheh Namak mineral belt, providing steady reserves with low iron content and high whiteness. Exclusive extraction rights mean continuous supply, while eco‑conscious practices like water recycling and dust suppression lower environmental impact. Consistent veining lets cutters align slabs for perfect book‑matching, proving JAM Stone Co. a dependable provider of white onyx for headline projects worldwide.
Every slab is interleaved with polyethylene foam, wrapped in plastic film, and strapped to fumigated hardwood A‑frames. Corner protectors, shock indicators, and moisture absorbers reduce transit damage, while computer‑aided container planning maximises load and lowers freight per square metre. Labels list quarry code, slab ID, dimensions, and net weight, helping customs officers and site crews trace each piece without confusion.
It is a rare calcite stone known for its translucent body, pale tone, and use in premium interiors where back‑lighting enhances natural beauty.
The international market for White Onyx is primarily driven by its demand in high-end construction, interior design, and luxury decor. Major suppliers of White Onyx come from countries like Pakistan, Iran, Turkey, and Mexico, where the stone is naturally quarried. Key markets for White Onyx include the Middle East, Europe, the United States, and China, where it’s sought after for use in exclusive residential and commercial projects, especially in luxury hotels, upscale homes, and architectural landmarks.
Address: No. 1014, JAM Center, Jamaran St., Niavaran, Tehran, Iran – 1977763988
Email: info@jamstoneco.com