Precious by Emil

Collection Summary

Precious by Emil is a porcelain stoneware collection from Emilceramica’s Tele di Marmo line, marketed by the manufacturer as Tele di Marmo Precious. It is inspired by quartz crystals and agate and organized into two coordinated families:

• Agate (Black, Azure, Brown): oversized circular agate formations on a high-contrast chiaroscuro ground.
• Crystal (White, Azure, Ambra): quieter crystalline surfaces that work as backgrounds.

Formats run from a 47×109 (120×278 cm) slab down to a 2×2 mosaic. The collection’s defining idea is a deliberate change of scale: agate is enlarged well beyond its natural proportions and shown on Emilceramica’s largest ceramic format.

Design & Aesthetic

Agate carries the visual drama. Its banded, circular formations run through warmer or cooler accents depending on the colorway.

Crystal provides calmer surfaces. They relate to Agate through loose color matching and a shared crystalline structure. Emilceramica pairs them in matched sets:

• Agate Black with Crystal White
• Agate Azure with Crystal Azure
• Agate Brown with Crystal Ambra

Each set can work as a feature and its field. The Glossy (Full Lappato) finish adds mirror-like depth to the slabs. Intrecci and the 2×2 mosaic bring the palette down to detail scale.

Material & Craftsmanship

Precious is dry-pressed porcelain tile classified BIa GL under ISO 13006 Annex G. Emilceramica says each colorway’s crystalline network comes from a strict selection of natural reference stones, reproduced with advanced decorating technology.

Three finishes are offered:

• Full Lappato (Glossy): polished and rectified.
• Naturale: rectified, rated R9.
• SilkTech: Emilgroup’s R10 slip-resistant surface. The slip resistance is built into the material rather than applied as a treatment, so the manufacturer says it lasts for the product’s life and keeps a soft feel.

Design Applications

Emilceramica shows Precious on floors and walls in bathrooms, kitchens, living spaces and restaurants. Its intended-use ratings are heavy commercial for Naturale and light commercial for Full Lappato. Useful scenarios include:

• Feature walls: Agate slabs as full-height walls with Crystal on the adjacent floor.
• Continuous fields: large Crystal formats across a whole room.
• Slip-sensitive floors: SilkTech small formats where slip resistance matters.
• Detail areas: mosaics and Intrecci that carry the palette into smaller zones.

Specifying Precious

• Finish by format:
  • 47×109, 47×47 and 36×70: Glossy or Naturale
  • 24×47, 12×24, Intrecci and 2×2 mosaic: Glossy or Silk
• Thickness varies. The 47×109 slab is 6.5 mm, 36×70 is 10 mm, and the 24×47, 12×24 and mosaics are 9.5 mm. Thinner material has a lower modulus of rupture, so review substrate requirements by format.
• Agate has a narrower range. The manufacturer catalogs Agate only in Full Lappato, as 120×278 slabs, 60×120 and the 5×5 cm (2×2) mosaic. Crystal runs across all formats. Confirm Agate options with TXD.
• Face counts are low for the slab size. Agate 47×109 has 7–8 faces and Crystal 47×109 has 6. Dry-lay or review face layouts for feature walls.
• Joints and variation. A 2 mm grout joint is recommended, and shade variation is rated V3 (High).
• Slip data covers two finishes only. Ratings are published for Naturale and SilkTech.

Product Specifications

• Water Absorption: Conforms
• Modulus of Rupture: 6.5mm – ≥ 35 N/mm² | 9.5/10mm – ≥ 45 N/mm²
• Breaking Strength: ≥ 2000 N
• Frost Resistance: Conforms
• Chemical Resistance: A – LA – HA
• Stain Resistance: 5
• Slip Resistance: Naturale – R9 / Silktech – R10
• DCOF: Naturale – ≥0.42 / Silktech – ≥0.50
• Pendulum Testers: Silktech – >36

Frequently Asked Questions

How should Agate and Crystal be combined in a Precious installation?

Emilceramica designs each Agate colorway to pair with a Crystal: Black with White, Azure with Azure, and Brown with Ambra. A common approach is Agate as the feature surface and Crystal as the surrounding field.

Which Precious finish is best for floors?

Slip-resistance data is published only for Naturale (R9, DCOF ≥0.42) and SilkTech (R10, DCOF ≥0.50). Specify one of those where floor slip performance matters, and confirm against project requirements.

Can Precious slabs be used for countertops or vanities?

Neither Tile X Design nor Emilceramica lists countertop or vanity use for Precious. Consult the manufacturer before specifying slabs for fabrication.

How should a feature wall be planned with Precious slabs?

Agate slabs come in only 7–8 faces and Crystal in 6. Review the faces, or a dry layout, in advance to control how the pattern lands across a wall.

Why does thickness vary across the collection?

The large slabs are produced at 6.5 mm and the smaller formats at 9.5–10 mm. The two groups carry different modulus-of-rupture values, which can affect substrate and installation requirements.