Italian S tile
The difference between the colours of the clay we use is down to Mother Nature herself. To explain why the clays have the colours they do, we need to take a short excursion into the realms of science. As we have explained elsewhere on this site, the colour of the clay is dependent upon where it was excavated.
Let’s start with our Tuscan clay: red and rose clays come from the same quarry in the province of Siena. They are taken from different depths. They are low in aluminium, but rich in iron. The iron is trivalent, meaning that the particles are bound together through the exchange of three electrons. This element gives the clay its red colour.
Yellow clay (called Ilite) comes from the Lazio region. It has an unusual colour which changes during the firing process. It’s fascinating to watch the shades change with the flames on the brick. The base colour is light, due to the presence of copper compounds.
Finally, we have white clay, also known as Caolino, which is made of of 20% aluminium and 60% silica compounds.
Should you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to contact us.
