15 Marble Facts: Understand The Uses Of This Metamorphic Rock

Marble has been a popular stone since the early ages.

Marble is a powder-white stone that gives it a signature look of eternity. It comes not just in white, but in a variety of shades.

They have been around since the time of Pharaohs. Marble jars were used to store vital organs belonging to the Pharaoh in the pyramids. Larger pyramids in the Giza strip in Cairo are said to have been covered with marble.

Venus de Milo is the name of a famous marble sculpture from ancient Greece found in Louvre, France. In Renaissance Europe, marble came to be used extensively in sculptures and as flooring in homes, buildings, and for making clocks.

Taj Mahal, the finest example of marble in Asia, was built as a mausoleum by Mughal emperor Shahjahan for his wife, Mumtaz.

The Discovery And Origin Of Marble

Marble is most commonly found in older layers of the Earth's crust, where there has been extreme folding. They are, in reality, metamorphic rocks.

Marble was discovered in 1873 by Sylvester Richardson, the founder of Gunnison, Colorado, and a geologist, while visiting the Rocky Mountain town of Marble, Colorado. However, it was rediscovered by George Yule in 1874.

Marble was chosen for its beauty in ancient times. This is the reason why many ancient sculptures are made in white marble.

The veins and patterns of marble are formed from the mineral deposits in limestone, which also react to intense heat and pressure faced by the limestone.

Pure white marble is formed by the metamorphosis of very pure limestone or dolomite.

Different Types Of Marble

In the Sinai Peninsula, some exotic marble panels are quarried that are creamy yellow in color with gold flecks in them. Marble types are determined by the kind of veining and webbing, or swirls, present in these marble structures caused by the presence of other minerals present in limestone.

Most marbles are white with pure white or fine-grained variations, like the Yule marble from Marble, Colorado. Calcutta marble is bright white with dramatic veins ranging from dark gray to beige and gold.

Emperador Dark is a dark brown marble with veins of white. It is considered a striking beauty.

Crema Marfil marble is a creamy beige stone whose vein color ranges from yellow, white, and cinnamon to golden beige. It is quarried almost exclusively in Spain.

Statuario is used exclusively for making statues. They are original Italian Carrara marble, white marble with gray veins running through them.

The Uses Of Marble

With the fall of the Roman empire, marble began to be used extensively. Most Renaissance homes of Europe used marble slabs for flooring and marble fixtures in the 19th century. Marble is used in sculpting, construction, interior decoration, and playing games.

The softness of this natural stone makes it easy to carve. Added to that is the fact that it is highly resistant to shattering. Its low refractive index allows light to penetrate, giving the stone a translucent feel, which makes statues seem lifelike.

This natural stone is used on the floors of buildings. Because of their timelessness, many monuments are marble structures.

Powdered marble is used to make oil and water paints, acrylic modeling paste, and glue-based thinners, like gesso.

The Composition And Formation Of Marble

Real marble occurs as marble blocks on mountains. Unlike granite, they are a mosaic of calcite grains that do not show any crystalline form under a microscope. It occurs interspersed with other metamorphic rocks, like gneiss and mica schist, and the limestone fossils become metamorphosed into marble.

It is formed by the metamorphosis of sedimentary carbonate rocks, like limestone or dolomite.

Original carbonate mineral grains undergo recrystallization during metamorphism.

The resulting marble structure is composed of an interlocking mosaic of carbonate crystals.

Marble's molecular structure has lime (42%), silica (25%), oxides of magnesium and sodium (2.5%), and alumina (4%).

Marble is still a metamorphic rock even after being installed. It continues its chemical reactions that can subtly alter its appearance. Acidic substances and extreme heat also impact this stone. The best way to keep this stone pristine is to use a sealant or clean it regularly.

FAQs

What are three facts about marble?

Marble is heat-resistant and is hypoallergenic. It is highly durable and lasts for centuries.

What is unique about marble?

No two marbles are the same.

Where is marble found in the world?

It is found mostly in Italy, the United States, Spain, and China.

What is marble made of?

It is made up of recrystallized carbonate minerals.

What is the largest marble called?

'The Grandfather' is the largest known marble in the world, and it is the size of a billiard ball.

Is marble only white?

There are different colors of marble, though white is dominant.

How many types of marble are there?

There are five types of marble, namely Crema Marfil, Statuary, Emperador, Calcutta, and Carrara.