Our Materials

Queen Cork
Globally, there’s an estimated 2.3 million hectares of cork oak forest. Of those, about 716 thousand hectares are located in Portugal (22.5% of the national forest area) and half of the world's cork production is Portuguese. We are in a privileged position to source it locally, while spending time with producers and making sure we choose only the best cork for our products.

The extraction of cork also maintains the vitality of the “Montado” habitat and promotes multiple economic, environmental and social gains, allowing for thousands of people to go on living and working in otherwise deserted areas of Portugal. This three-dimensional contribution of cork makes it queen among sustainable raw materials.

What is cork?
Cork is the bark of the cork oak, removed every nine years, when the tree is in a more active stage of growth and it’s easier to peel it without damaging the trunk. The work is done by specialized professionals able to delicately manage an ax.

Why cork?
As you may have already noticed, we love cork. If you don’t share the love just yet, read on and you will find out our love is completely justified. Besides being waterproof, buoyant, elastic, fire resistant and unique in its appearance, it is a naturally harvested material, mainly originating in the cork oak forests located in the Iberian Peninsula (Portugal and Spain).

Naturally versatile and sustainable

• Light 
  Over half of cork's volume is air, which makes it very light, weighing in at just 0.16 grams per cubic centimeter (so light it can float).
  
  
• Elastic 
  Cork is the only solid material in the world which, when compressed on one side, does not increase its volume on the other. As result of this elasticity it is able to adapt to variations in temperature and pressure without suffering alterations.
  
  
• Impermeable
  The suberin and ceroids make cork practically impermeable to liquids and gases. It is naturally resistant to moisture, allowing it to age without deteriorating.
  
  
• Insulating
  Cork has low conductivity to heat, noise and vibration.
   
• Fire retardant
  Cork is a natural fire retardant. It burns without a flame and does not produce toxic gases during combustion.
  
  
• Resistant
  Thanks to its honeycomb structure, cork is extremely resistant to abrasion and has a higher friction coefficient and resistance to impact than many other hard surfaces.
  
  
• Hypoallergenic
  Cork does not absorb dust, a feature that protects allergy and asthma sufferers.
  
  
• Naturally soft
  Cork combines softness and flexibility with a naturally uneven surface.