Hi everyone - I would like to install a marble fireplace mantle like the picture below and though I have selected a slab of marble that is large enough to cut the mantle in one piece (the outside band would be separate pieces), my fabricator is telling me that it should be cut and installed as 3 pieces (essentially a header going across the top and two legs). I’d rather it be one piece so there are no seams going across it. They say that if it is installed as a single piece, there is a chance the marble will break once we start using the fireplace due to thermal expansion. We are planning to convert the fireplace to gas (with a log set) and will not use the fireplace while it is still wood burning.

I have looked at many inspiration pictures and it looks like some have the seam and some do not.

The marble I chose is called Calacatta ivory.

Pictures of the inspiration fireplace and stone I selected are below.