Marble
Marble
is a metamorphosed limestone. It is composed of pure calcite and is
extensively used for sculpture, and as a building material. The common
term, faux marble or faux marbling is a wall painting technique which
imitates the color patterns of real marble. The marble dusts are
combined with cement or synthetic resins to make reconstituted or
cultured marble.
The word "marble" has been derived from the Greek word "marmaros,"
which mean "shining stone." This is also the basis for the
English word "marmoreal," meaning "marble-like."
Marble is associated with the astrological sign of Gemini. Pure white
marble acts as an emblem of purity. Also it acts as an emblem of
immortality, and an ensurer of success in education.
Types of marble
Some of the important kinds of marble, historically, named after
their quarries locations are as follows:
- Paros
(Greece)
- Panteli
(Greece)
- Carrara
(Italy)
- Proconnesus
(Turkey)
- Macael
(Spain)
Origins
of Marble
Marble is a result over a period of time, the contact of metamorphism
of sedimentary carbonate rocks, either in limestone or dolostone. This
metamorphic process causes a full recrystallization of the original
rock into an interlocking mosaic of calcite and/or the dolomite
crystals.
Pure white marble is formed from the metamorphism of very pure
limestones. The characteristic swirls and veins of many colored marble
varieties are the result of various mineral impurities, like clay,
silt, sand, iron oxides, or chert that originally had the presence as
grains or layers in the limestone. The green coloration is often
because of serpentine which results from the originally high magnesium
limstone or dolostone with silica impurities.
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