Marble as White as Snow

Elegant and understated, Hima Soul is a pure white marble that conjures up visions of the pristine Himalayan snow. The new brand, which grew out of a partnership between important international companies Marmi Ghirardi in Italy, Shangyue Mining in China, and Qamar El‑Muneir in Saudi Arabia, had its official launch at the four-day Marmomactrade show at VeronaFiere. The aim of the brand – whose slogan reads The essence of Himalayan marble – is to bring together nature, creativity, artisanal skill, technology, and the expertise and cultures of the very different partners.

All three saw Marmomac as the best platform for unveiling the new brand to architects, designers, and the industry as a whole. “Our collaboration on this grew out of a number of personal relationships that developed over the years,” said Stefano Ghirardi, CEO of Marmi Ghirardi. “It was these relationships that made the project possible. An opportunity arose, and a partnership was formed. In the months that followed, we worked to have Hima Soul ready for Marmomac in Verona, believing it was the best platform for unveiling the brand and showing what our partnership can achieve.”

Quarried from the foothills of the Himalayas and expertly crafted, Hima Soul marble is currently available in five different shades: Pure, Classic, Alba Striata, Alba Striata Gold, and Oly White. And, with the brand now officially launched on the international market, prospects for all three companies are extremely positive. “Hima Soul is ready to take on a truly international market,” said senior advisor Samir Chalfoun. “Clients’ initial responses to the product have ranged from surprise to amazement.”

Jimmy Jin, chairman of Shangyue Mining, also expressed a positive outlook, emphasizing the uniqueness of a partnership that extends from East to West that is intended to draw on the best of each market and each partner’s local expertise: “Our team is 100% Chinese. For this reason, we wanted to work with partners more familiar with local markets.” Jin then went on to discuss the qualities of the marble: “The material is pure white – a color that is also valued in Islamic culture, with many sculptures and mosques also this shade. In China, there are no other companies like ours.”

Shangyue Mining is a major global company specialized in quarrying Hanbaiyu marble, a material from the foothills of the Himalayas that is universally recognized for its exceptional purity and fine texture. With estimated reserves of over a billion cubic meters and an annual production capacity of five million cubic meters, the company supplies blocks and slabs used in five‑star hotels, luxury residences, and artworks around the world. Jin says that the new partnership could also be step one in “attracting more of the young generation of architects and designers to our product.”

“Marmi Ghirardi has sufficient production capacity to guarantee an uninterrupted supply of product and take on large‑scale projects,” Stefano Ghirardi concluded. “It also has the knowledge and experience to handle major commissions.” As Samir Chalfoun noted, “For these reasons, this marble has a lot in common with the Italian tradition.”

For more info: www.ghirardi.it/en/himasoul/