Travertine

Banded limestone deposited by hot springs, full of small holes.

Travertine specimen — Photo: Nessa Eull, CC0, via Wikimedia Commons

How to identify travertine

Cream to tan with wavy bands.
Small elongated holes.
Fizzes in acid.

Often confused with

Tufa
Tufa is spongier and forms in cool water.
Compare side by side
Marble
Marble is crystalline with no holes.
Compare side by side

Where it's found

Tivoli, Italy
Mammoth Hot Springs, Yellowstone
Pamukkale, Turkey

Uses

Building facades, floors and tiles.

Rock tumbling

Not suitable for tumbling.

Did you know?

The Colosseum in Rome is built largely of travertine from Tivoli.

Think you could spot it from a blurry close-up?

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