Marble has been prized for its many uses for more than two millenia. The classical Greeks and Romans used it in their sculpture and architecture; Michelangelo immortalized it in his many Renaissance sculptures; and today it is still used for building and high-end designer finishes, as well as for art and sculpture.
There are dozens of types and colors of marble, and it is quarried all over the world.
Definition
Marble is a metamorphic stone, which means that it is a rock that changes composition over time from one rock to another. In marble's case, limestone or dolomite are softened over time under conditions of intense heat and pressure, and then are recrystallized as marble.
Composition
Marble is composed of calcite, aragonite and dolomite crystals.
White Marble
White marble is highly prized for sculpture and architecture and is made from the purest of white limestones.
Hardness
Marble is a rating of between 2 and 5 on the Mohs scale of hardness for rocks and minerals, which means that it is a comparatively soft stone.
Colors
Marble is available in a rainbow of colors from pink, red, grey, green, brown and even black. Veined, streaked and other colored marbles are created from mineral impurities present when marble is formed, including sand, silt, clay and iron oxide.
