What is the difference between limestone and travertine?
The mineral content, areas of application, and care for limestone and travertine are almost identical. They do have distinctive characteristics, however, which stem from the different way in which each stone was formed. Limestone tends to have a more solid look with a particulate texture and possible inclusion of fossils. There may be some color variation between tiles, but overall the look of installed limestone is usually understated and European. Travertine, on the other hand, has more variation within each piece and can show off its texture in both linear vein-cut materials or in the whorls and clouds of the cross-cut varieties. The small holes that are inherent in travertine were created by escaping carbon dioxide when the stone was formed. Typically, these holes are filled at the factory before the tile is sold. Travertine has an overall sense of warmth which makes it very popular for residential and hospitality applications.
