Description
A hard, dense, crystalline stone primarily composed of calcium carbonate. Marble is limestone or dolomite that has been metamorphosed with heat and pressure. Pure calcite marble is white, but impurities produce a wide variety of coloring and patterns. Marble has fine grains and polishes to a smooth, high gloss. It is used for statuary and buildings. Marble has been quarried from sites around the world since at least the seventh century BCE. Historical quarry locations and marble types include:
- Greece: Paros (Parian marble), Penteli (Pentelic marble), rosso antico, Eleusinian marble
- Turkey: Proconnesus
- Italy: Carrara marble, bardiglio, cipolin, parmazo marble
- Spain: Macael
- Belgium: rance, Belgian black, St. Anne marble
- France: Languedoc marble, griotte, Sarrancolin marble
- U.S.: Vermont white statuary, Georgia white, Colorado Yule statuary, Alabama cream, Tennessee pink, Rockingham royal black.
Note: Commercially, the term 'marble' is used for any non-granite stone that can take a polish, such as travertine, onyx, serpentine, and limestone.
Synonyms and Related Terms
lcium carbonate; marmer (Ned.); Marmor (Deut., Sven.); marbre (Fr.); marmo (It.); mármol (Esp.); marmur (Pol.); mármore (Port.);
Additional Information
R. Mayer, A Dictionary of Art Terms and Techniques, Harper and Row, New York, 1969.
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Last updated on: 3/9/2012 8:06:53 AM
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