Additional Features

• No matter how you spell it zellige, zellige, or zellij it is a beautiful tile. All our zellige tiles are made by hand, with clay from Fez. You will see noticeable variations in thickness, depth, color, shade, and size and some pits and cracks in the glaze — all to be expected. The handmade nature of zellige tiles is the key to their charm, imperfect uneven shapes allow the tiles to appear more fluid than flat — corners and edges are not perfectly even. Another feature of note: It’s impossible to get a batch of zellige tiles in the exact same hue. Know that your zellige tile will be more ombré or patchwork colored than solid. As the tile is placed in the kiln tiles placed closer to the fire will retain different color characteristics than those placed further away from the fire. We also sell an unglazed natural clay zellige tile that is not glossy. These tiles require special care when being used in an area where they may get wet or dirty. See notes on sealing instructions for these unglazed tiles. These contemporary cut zellige tiles are machine cut and still have some uneven areas and are attached to a mesh backing. Each piece is set by hand on the mesh so nothing is perfectly even. You will want to "dry fit" the tiles in a flat area and align them so the gap between panels is minimal. There will be some gaps. This handmade tile will never be perfect which is what we think makes it perfect. After you are satisfied with how the tiles look you can then install them in a mortar using the dry fit as a guide for your installer. When the grout used is a similar color to the tile the final look appears almost grout-less. If you choose to use a contrasting grout color you will notice grout lines of uneven widths. Our new contemporary cuts are sold un-grouted with a mesh backing.