Black and gold marble effect porcelain tiles are glazed porcelain tiles made to look like Portoro marble: a near-black base crossed by gold veins. At Tiles Paradise they come in 60×60cm and 60×120cm sizes, from £24.99 per m², in polished, high-gloss and matt anti-slip finishes. Every one is rectified and rated for underfloor heating.
The short answer: choose the vein style first, the finish second and the size last.
- Vein: bold gold flashes for drama, fine gold lines for calm, warm bronze veins for a softer, brown-black room.
- Finish: polished or high gloss for walls and dry floors; matt R11 wherever feet get wet.
- Size: 60×120cm for open floors and slab-look walls; 60×60cm for small rooms and rooms with lots of cuts.
The rest of this guide explains each choice, compares every black and gold tile we sell side by side, and costs five real rooms, including the bulk deals that save money and the ones that do not.
What Is Black and Gold Marble Called?
Black marble with gold veins is called Portoro, or Nero Portoro. It is a black limestone quarried around the Gulf of La Spezia in Liguria, Italy, on the Portovenere headland and the islands of Palmaria and Tino. The stone trade has sold it for centuries simply as "Black and Gold". Only one Portoro quarry still works today, so real slabs are rare and expensive.
Portoro has two grades that matter for tile choice. Macchia Grande has thick, cloudy gold veins. Macchia Fine has thin, wiry ones. Porcelain makers copy both, and that split is the easiest way to sort the tiles on the market.
One name causes confusion. Nero Marquina is a different marble, from Markina in the Basque Country of Spain, and its veins are white, not gold. A tile sold as "Marquina Black & Gold" borrows the deep Marquina base and swaps the white veins for gold.
Real Portoro is softer and more porous than porcelain, and stone dealers describe it as unsuited to heavy foot traffic. A porcelain copy gives the same look with a glazed face that never needs sealing and shrugs off red wine, coffee and bath products.
Which Black and Gold Vein Style Suits Your Room?
Bold veins suit statement rooms you pass through, fine veins suit rooms you live in all day, and warm bronze veins suit rooms full of wood and soft colour. The image at the top of this guide shows all three side by side.
Bold gold flashes (the Macchia Grande look)
Bold-vein tiles throw thick gold streaks, caramel patches and the odd white thread across a black base. Up close they look like a cut stone slab. Across a room they read as movement rather than pattern.
Our Black & Gold Marble Effect 60×60cm tile and its 60×120cm version belong here, alongside Sky Golden Black 60×60cm and Sky Golden Black 60×120cm. The two look very alike in photographs, so order a sample of each and compare them under your own lights.
Bold veins shine in cloakrooms, hallways, feature walls and bathrooms where the tile is the decoration. They clash in a small room that already has busy curtains, a patterned rug or wallpaper, because two loud patterns fight for the eye.
Fine gold lines (the Macchia Fine look)
Fine-line tiles leave most of the surface plain black and draw thin gold veins across it, like cracks in lacquer. The calm background makes a room feel larger, and it suits sleek, handle-less kitchens.
Epitome Black & Gold High Gloss 60×60cm and Epitome 60×120cm put this look on a jet-black base. Marquina Black & Gold 60×120cm does the same on a base that leans blue-black, which can look almost navy in cool north light. The Apollo Black & Gold Matt 60×60cm keeps the fine lines, drops the shine and carries an R11 slip rating.
Warm bronze veins
The third style swaps the black base for a deep chocolate one, veined in bronze and toffee. Palazzo Black & Gold 60×120cm is the tile here. In photos it reads as black; in a sunny room it reads as dark brown.
That warmth makes Palazzo the easiest black and gold tile to live with next to oak, walnut, tan leather and cream. It sits less happily with chrome and brilliant white. Its listing states four different faces, so mixing tiles from several boxes avoids obvious repeats.
Black and Gold Tiles Compared: Vein, Finish, Grip and Price
Every tile in the table is glazed porcelain with rectified edges, and every one is listed as suitable for underfloor heating. They differ in vein style, finish, slip rating and price.
| Tile | Vein style | Size | Finish | Slip rating (as listed) | Price per m² | Stock |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Black & Gold Marble Effect | Bold | 60×60cm | Polished | Not stated | £24.99 | In stock |
| Black & Gold Marble Effect | Bold | 60×120cm | Polished | Not stated | £29.99 | In stock |
| Sky Golden Black | Bold | 60×60cm | Polished | R9 | £24.99 | In stock |
| Sky Golden Black | Bold | 60×120cm | Polished | Not stated | £24.99 | In stock |
| Epitome Black & Gold | Fine | 60×60cm | High gloss | Not stated | £33.99 | In stock |
| Epitome Black & Gold | Fine | 60×120cm | High gloss | R9 | £34.99 | In stock |
| Apollo Black & Gold | Fine | 60×60cm | Matt anti-slip | R11 | £34.99 | In stock |
| Marquina Black & Gold | Fine, blue-black base | 60×120cm | Polished | Not stated | £24.99 | Sold out |
| Palazzo Black & Gold | Warm bronze | 60×120cm | Polished | Not stated; not for shower floors | £24.99 | In stock |
Prices and stock checked on 23 October 2026.
The tiles are 9.5mm thick, apart from Marquina, which is listed at 9mm. One 60×60cm tile covers 0.36m², so a square metre takes 2.78 tiles. One 60×120cm tile covers 0.72m², so a square metre takes 1.39 tiles.
Most boxes cover 1.44m²: four tiles in a 60×60cm box, two in a 60×120cm box. Epitome 60×60cm is the exception, with two tiles and 0.72m² per box.
Polished, High Gloss or Matt: Which Finish Goes Where?
Polished and high-gloss black and gold tiles belong on walls and dry indoor floors, and a matt R11 tile belongs wherever feet are wet. That one rule settles most bathroom and kitchen plans.
Slip ratings come from the DIN 51130 ramp test, which runs from R9 to R13. R9 suits dry indoor floors. R10 is a sensible minimum for a family bathroom floor. R11 is the usual standard for walk-in shower floors and wet rooms. The polished black and gold listings that state a rating give R9.
"Polished" and "high gloss" mean much the same in daily life. Both reflect light, both show the gold at its brightest, and both turn slippery under water or cooking oil.
You can mix finishes in one room, and in a bathroom you usually should. A strong pairing is a polished bold-vein tile on the walls with the matt Apollo R11 on the shower floor. For the closest match between wall and floor, choose a fine-line wall tile such as Epitome, because Apollo shares its thin, straight veins.
Kitchen floors need the same thinking. A polished floor is fine in a quiet kitchen where spills are wiped at once. In a busy family kitchen, a dog's water bowl or a dropped ice cube makes matt the calmer choice.
60×60cm or 60×120cm: Which Size Should You Buy?
Buy 60×120cm for larger floors and for walls you want to look like stone slabs; buy 60×60cm for small rooms, rooms with lots of cuts, and floors that are not perfectly flat. As a rule of thumb, the big format pays off on floors of around 10m² and up.
Large tiles mean fewer joints, and fewer joints make black and gold read as one continuous stone. The catch is flatness. A polished black surface acts like a mirror, so a 1mm step between two tiles shows as a bright line. A large tile needs a flat base, full adhesive cover and a levelling clip system.
Small rooms favour 60×60cm. Cutting around a toilet, a basin pedestal and a door frame wastes less tile, and a square tile is easier for one person to handle.
On walls, the way you turn a 60×120cm tile changes the room. Laid upright, it makes a low ceiling feel taller. Laid on its side, it makes a narrow room feel wider.
Where Do Black and Gold Tiles Work Best?
Black and gold tiles work best in well-lit rooms where the tile can be the star: bathrooms, cloakrooms, kitchens with light cabinets, hallways and fireplace walls. They work least well in a dark room covered on every surface.
Bathrooms and cloakrooms
A windowless cloakroom tiled black and gold on every wall feels like a jewel box. A north-facing family bathroom treated the same way can feel like a cave. In larger bathrooms, tile the floor and one or two walls, keep the rest a warm white, and let white sanitaryware and brass fittings break up the black.
Kitchens
Black and gold makes a striking kitchen floor under white, cream, sage or oak cabinets. A single 60×120cm tile behind the hob gives a splashback with almost no grout lines to clean. Porcelain copes with the heat behind a hob without marking.
Living rooms and hallways
A polished black and gold floor bounces daylight from garden doors deep into a living room. In a hallway it makes a grand first impression, but wet shoes carry rain straight onto it. Put a deep doormat inside the front door, or lay the matt Apollo tile in the porch and polished tiles beyond it.
Fireplaces and feature walls
Black and gold is a natural partner for a fireplace wall, because firelight picks out the gold veins. Porcelain handles the warmth of a surround without trouble. For the hearth itself, follow your stove installer's rules on materials and distances.
How Much Do Black and Gold Marble Effect Tiles Cost?
Black and gold marble effect porcelain tiles cost £24.99 to £34.99 per m² at Tiles Paradise. Tile orders under £499 pay £39.99 for pallet delivery, and orders of £499 or more ship free.
The examples below add 10% for cuts and round up to whole boxes, which is how you will actually buy.
| Room | Floor area | Tile | Boxes | Tiles | Delivery | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cloakroom | 2.5m² | Black & Gold 60×60cm, polished | 2 | £71.97 | £39.99 | £111.96 |
| Family bathroom | 5.5m² | Black & Gold 60×60cm, polished | 5 | £179.93 | £39.99 | £219.92 |
| Same bathroom, with grip | 5.5m² | Apollo 60×60cm, matt R11 | 5 | £251.93 | £39.99 | £291.92 |
| Kitchen | 18m² | Black & Gold 60×60cm, polished | 14 | £503.80 | Free | £503.80 |
| Open-plan living space | 40m² | Black & Gold 60×120cm, polished | 31 | £1,338.75 | Free | £1,338.75 |
Two lines stand out. Grip on the bathroom floor costs £72 more than polished, the cheapest safety upgrade in the room. And the 18m² kitchen crosses the £499 line, so delivery drops to nothing.
Do pallet deals and job lots save money?
Some bulk deals save a lot and some save nothing, so work out the price per m² before you buy. The table divides each deal by the area it covers and compares it with buying the same area by the metre.
| Deal | Covers | Price | Per m² | Against buying by the m² |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Epitome 60×60cm pallet, 144 tiles | 51.84m² | £975 | £18.81 | Saves £787; worth it from about 29m² |
| Epitome 60×60cm job lot, 83 tiles | 29.88m² | £700 | £23.43 | Saves £316; worth it from about 21m² |
| Black & Gold 60×60cm pallet, 158 tiles | 56.88m² | £1,200 | £21.10 | Saves £221; worth it from 48m² |
| Black & Gold 60×120cm pallet, 62 tiles | 44.64m² | £1,250 | £28.00 | Saves £89 |
| Black & Gold 60×120cm job lot, 32 tiles | 23.04m² | £619 | £26.87 | Saves £72 |
| Black & Gold 60×60cm job lot, 70 tiles | 25.2m² | £633.99 | £25.16 | About the same (£4 more) |
| Sky Golden Black 60×120cm pallet, 64 tiles | 46.08m² | £1,200 | £26.04 | Costs £48 more; buy by the m² |
Prices checked on 23 October 2026. Deals change, so repeat the sum (price ÷ m²) on the day you order.
The Epitome deals are the standout: a high-gloss tile that costs £33.99 per m² drops to £18.81 by the pallet. A bulk deal has one more benefit that the sums miss. Every tile comes from one production batch, so the shade matches across the whole floor.
After You Choose: Grout, Pairings and Living With Black and Gold
The tile decides the look; the details below decide whether it still looks right in five years. They cover grout, metals, cleaning, wear, fitting and delivery.
What colour grout goes with black and gold tiles?
Black grout suits black and gold tiles best, because it makes the joints vanish and leaves only the gold veins on show. Mapei Ultracolor Plus 120 Black is the match for jet-black bases such as Epitome and Apollo. Mapei 114 Anthracite is a touch lighter, which suits Palazzo's brown-black base and hides pale dust a little better on floors.
White grout turns a black floor into a grid and exposes every uneven edge; our guide to black bathroom tile finishes and grout explains why tilers avoid it. Gold or glitter grout competes with veins on a marble-effect tile, so save it for plain black tiles. On rectified tiles, aim for a 2–3mm joint, and follow our step-by-step grouting guide for a clean finish.
Which taps, metals and colours go with black and gold tiles?
Brushed brass and gold fittings echo the veins and make the scheme feel planned. Our brushed gold shower sets and brass and gold LED mirrors are chosen with that finish in mind. Chrome looks sharper and cooler, and it suits the fine-line tiles best. Matt black fittings disappear against black tile, which is calm but adds no sparkle.
For walls, warm white and cream flatter all three vein styles, while brilliant white looks harsh beside Palazzo. Oak and walnut warm the black. In kitchens, our black kitchen tile ideas cover cabinet colours, and the gold splashback pairing guide covers worktops and handles.
Do black and gold tiles show dirt and water marks?
Yes, polished black shows dust, pet hair, footprints and dried water spots more than mid-tone tiles do. Bold-vein tiles hide crumbs better than fine-line tiles, because the busy pattern camouflages them. Hard-water areas see the most spotting on shower walls.
A dry microfibre mop each day and a damp mop with a pH-neutral cleaner once a week keep the shine. Squeegee shower walls after use, and avoid bleach and acid cleaners, which can dull a polished glaze over time. Our tile and grout cleaning guide covers stubborn marks.
Will the gold veins fade, tarnish or rub off?
No, the gold veins cannot tarnish, because they are a ceramic colour fired into the glaze, not metal leaf. They will look the same in twenty years as on the day they were laid. Gold-foil, glitter and metallic-lustre tiles are a different product, and those can wear.
Do black and gold porcelain tiles scratch?
The glaze is hard, but grit from shoes acts like sandpaper, and fine scratches show more on polished black than on matt. Felt pads on chair legs and a good doormat prevent most of them. Check a few tiles from each box before fixing, protect the finished floor while other trades are working, and wipe sand off rather than sweeping it across.
Do black and gold porcelain tiles need sealing?
No, the porcelain body does not need sealing the way real marble does. Some fitters apply a one-off sealer to polished tiles before grouting, because it stops grout haze sticking to the gloss. That step is optional, not a maintenance task.
Can you fit them on walls, over old tiles or with underfloor heating?
Yes to all three, with checks. Every tile here is listed for walls, but a 60×120cm porcelain tile is heavy, so confirm what your wall board can hold; our marble wall tiles guide covers weight limits. Tiling over old tiles works only when they are sound, flat and well bonded, as our guide to tiling over tiles explains.
Underfloor heating is fine for every tile in this guide. Our article on porcelain floors with underfloor heating covers the start-up routine. For large polished tiles, a flexible S1 adhesive such as Mapei Keraflex Maxi S1 and the flat-base advice in our large format floor tile guide prevent most problems.
Does marble effect porcelain look fake?
Good marble effect porcelain looks real from standing height, and the usual giveaway is a repeated vein. Mix tiles from several boxes as you lay, keep joints thin and dark, and the pattern reads as stone. Our comparison of marble effect porcelain and real marble covers cost and care, and the black marble tile guide covers natural black stone in depth.
How is porcelain different from black and gold vinyl, stick-on tiles or wall panels?
Porcelain is fired clay: it is heatproof, hard to scratch and permanent. Vinyl, stick-on tiles and PVC wall panels are plastic, so they are cheaper and quicker to fit, but softer, less heat-resistant and shorter-lived. Choose them for a rental refresh; choose porcelain for a room you plan to keep.
Is black and gold better than black and white, or gold and white?
Black and gold is the warmest and most dramatic of the three. Black and white is crisper and more graphic; see our black and white floor tiles guide. Gold and white suits small or dim rooms better, and our gold marble effect tiles guide covers it. If you like Sky Golden Black, its four sister colourways are compared in our Sky marble range guide. For black without gold, browse the full black marble effect tiles collection.
How many tiles do I need, and can I see one first?
Measure each area, multiply length by width, and add 10% for cuts. Our tile calculator does the sum and rounds to whole boxes, and the bathroom tile quantities guide covers walls with windows and niches.
Order a sample before a full order, using the sample button on each product page, which shows the current size and price. Look at it in daylight and again at night under your own lamps, because black and gold changes more between the two than almost any other tile.
How are black and gold tiles delivered?
Tiles travel on a pallet to the kerbside, usually within 2–7 working days, by a lorry with a tail lift. Someone must be at home to receive it. Check the pallet on arrival and report any damage within two working days. For larger projects, the pallet deals collection lists every current bulk offer.
Last Thoughts on Black and Gold Marble Effect Porcelain Tiles
Black and gold marble effect porcelain gives the look of Italian Portoro marble without its price, porosity or sealing. The right tile comes from three decisions in order: a vein style that suits how you use the room, a finish that matches how wet the floor gets, and a size that fits the space and the base beneath it. Get those three right, add black grout and warm metals, and the gold will look as rich on the last day as on the first.