Rocksday

Marble

Limestone recrystallized by heat and pressure into a mosaic of interlocking calcite grains.

Marble specimen
Photo: Zyance, CC BY-SA 2.5, via Wikimedia Commons

How to identify marble

  • Sparkly, sugary crystals on broken surfaces.
  • Fizzes in acid.
  • A knife scratches it.
  • Often swirled or veined.

Often confused with

Where it's found

  • Carrara, Italy
  • Yule, Colorado
  • Proctor, Vermont
  • Mount Pentelicus, Greece

Uses

Sculpture, buildings, countertops and floor tiles.

Rock tumbling

Can be tumbled with care.

Did you know?

Michelangelo's David is carved from Carrara marble; the Lincoln Memorial is Colorado Yule marble.

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