Painting over marble around fireplace

Hi,
I have this fireplace:
http://www.focalpointfires.co.uk/focalpoint-fires-product-details.asp?id=37
The cream marble around it and infront of it i want to paint to black, I think it's marble anyway?
Any ideas how I go about this, i've read on this forum to use tile paint, is it as simple as that?
Thanks,

Only you know why you want to paint it..but I bet a few people who have read your post so far have gone..'what'????!

Anyway...Its more or less the same as painting glass..i.e...limited success.

You may want to try a coat of dulux super grip or something similar and a primer.

I would also rub down the surface with fine grade wet and dry to help provide a key

Hope that helps..

There were a lot of terraced house about the turn of the century that had marble fireplaces that were painted. The marble was called "bastard" marble as it was low grade and you could still see shells and razor clam shells in it. This was meant to be painted. Using oil paint, usually eggshell. As zampa says, wet n dry to provide a key and paint away. as it is very smooth it will have the possibility of chipping off if it gets hit by something.

cheers for replies guys,

so fine wet n dry, prime (oil based?), and dulux super grip?

I saw on someone elses post to use stonelux? that better?

thanks