Marble has been one of the world&#;s most beloved materials since ancient times, and remains a popular and luxurious choice for home design, from countertops to flooring to tiles. If you&#;ve seen a slab of marble up close you may be wondering how and where such a beautiful (and heavy) rock was extracted from the earth. Let&#;s talk about where marble comes from and take a look at the process of marble mining.
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Marble forms when existing stone&#;namely, limestone or dolomite&#;is transformed by intense pressure and heat at the boundaries of tectonic plates in the earth. A type of metamorphic rock, marble gains its distinctive veins and swirls from mineral deposits in the stone that react to the heat and pressure in unique ways.
As a result of this process, marble can be found in massive seams in many parts of the world. Modern marble production is dominated by four countries that mine around half of the world&#;s marble: Italy, China, India and Spain. Other countries, including Turkey, Greece and the United States, also have marble quarries.
Southern Italy has perhaps the most well-known and sought-after types of marble, Carrara and Calacatta. Named for the cities in which they are mined, these Italian marbles are considered very fine and luxurious, and they&#;re often what come to mind when one thinks about marble. Featuring a creamy white background with beautiful, classic grey vein patterns throughout the stone, Italian marble has been particularly beloved for centuries.
The first step in mining marble from a quarry involves creating a bench wall. This is done using synthetic diamond wire and diamond-tipped drills to separate the rock and form a vertical wall. This involves drilling holes in the marble from the top of the quarry, and lining up a drill hole from the side. The wire is fed through the holes and connected to a machine that sits on track to keep tension on the wire as it cuts through the marble. Sometimes, especially in gallery quarries (which are inside mountains), a chainsaw-like machine is used instead.
From there, the loosened marble is processed into uniform blocks, each of which can weigh more than 15,000 pounds. These massive blocks are transported from the quarry using heavy machines and vehicles, where they are then taken to be milled. Milling involves the extracted blocks being cut with diamond wires or a special saw to create 7- to 9-foot long slabs.
Marble slabs are often coated in a resin to fill any small cracks in the stone&#;s surface. They are then polished, leaving resin on only about 1% of the surface in order to maintain the purity of the marble. At this point, they are ready to be cut to size to create stunning marble countertops for your kitchen or bathroom.
As a natural stone, marble can be used in many places throughout the home. Most commonly installed as countertops, flooring or bathroom tiles, marble has a range of uses and can bring a timeless luxury to any room such an attractive kitchen backsplash.
For ideas and inspiration for using marble in your next design project, see our photo gallery of marble installations.
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Marble is a beautiful, natural stone that has been used as a dimension stone to make buildings and artworks for thousands of years in some very famous places, for example, you&#;ll see Marble floors in the Pantheon, Buckingham Palace and the Taj Mahal. The word &#;marble&#; derives from the Ancient Greek word &#;mármaros&#;, which means &#;shining stone&#; or &#;crystalline rock.&#; The Greek term itself is believed to have originated from an earlier word, possibly from the Phoenician or Semitic languages, which referred to a similar type of stone. Our experts know how precious Marble is so below we&#;re looking at how marble is formed and where Marble is found.
Marble is a metamorphic rock, which means &#;rock that has changed&#;. Metamorphic rocks are formed from other materials already existing on the earth&#;s surface, primarily composed of calcite or dolomite minerals. Calcite is a form of calcium carbonate (CaCO3), and it commonly occurs as crystals within the marble matrix.
During the metamorphic process that forms marble, the original sedimentary rocks, such as limestone or dolomite, undergo intense heat and pressure. These conditions cause the minerals within the rock to recrystallize and rearrange, giving rise to the characteristic interlocking calcite crystals seen in marble.
The size, shape, and arrangement of the crystals can vary when marble forms, depending on factors such as the duration and intensity of the metamorphic process. In some cases, the crystals may be large and easily visible, giving the marble a distinctive crystalline appearance. In other instances, the crystals may be smaller and densely packed, resulting in a smoother texture.
The presence of calcite crystals in marble contributes to its aesthetic appeal and gives it a unique pattern and colouration. The crystals can reflect light, producing a characteristic lustre and enhancing the visual appeal of the stone.
Contact us to discuss your requirements of Marble Supplier. Our experienced sales team can help you identify the options that best suit your needs.
Marble can contain mineral impurities in addition to its primary calcite or dolomite mineral composition. These impurities can introduce various colours and patterns to the marble, resulting in a wide range of aesthetically pleasing variations. Some common mineral impurities found in marble include clay minerals, iron oxides, micas, graphite, pyrite, and quartz.
It&#;s important to note that the presence and type of mineral impurities in marble can vary depending on the specific geological conditions and location where the marble was formed. As a result, different types of marble can exhibit different impurities, resulting in a wide range of colours, patterns, and characteristics.
Igneous rocks are formed directly from lava or the earth&#;s molten core. Marble is formed from limestone. In geological terms, Marble is a crystallized form of limestone or dolomite.
Stonecutters use a broader definition &#; we&#;ll call the crystallized forms of a few other stones Marble, too, as they have similar veining and take the same high gloss polish in a way other stones don&#;t. This is because stone cutters have been working with Marble for thousands of years, long before anyone could tell the difference between calcium carbonate and magnesium silicate. They both look beautiful, so what does it matter?
Limestone is usually formed from shells, coral and algae that have collected on the seafloor and being compressed over thousands of years. Sometimes, the shells and bones of creatures that lived long ago survive this process. As a result, you can sometimes still see fossils in your marble floor or tiles.
Marble is made of a unique mixture of limestone and various carbonate minerals. The beautiful and unique patterns in natural Marble are a major reason for its value as these patterns are formed by deposits of minerals that existed in the limestone before it was affected by extreme heat being pressurized and heated in the earth&#;s crust. The minerals react to the pressure differently than the stone did, forming veins and patterns.
When you think of Marble, you probably picture a milky white colour but this isn&#;t the only option available! Due to the presence of various minerals and salts, Marble takes on many coloured marble varieties, from pure white to shimmering greens; these different colours are caused by different substances. For example, black veins or grey shading is usually caused by carbon impurities while green is linked to serpentine.
Pure white marble refers to a type of marble that is predominantly white in colour, without significant impurities or veining. It is valued for its clean, elegant appearance and is often associated with luxury and sophistication. It is highly sought after for various architectural and decorative applications, including countertops, flooring, wall cladding, sculptures, and other artistic creations.
One well-known example of pure white marble is Carrara marble, which is quarried in the Carrara region of Italy. Carrara marble is renowned for its bright white colour and fine, uniform grain. It has been used for centuries in famous structures and sculptures, including Michelangelo&#;s David.
Marble is found around the world making it a symbol of luxury in so many cultures. Today, four countries quarry almost half of the world&#;s marble. They are: Italy, China, India and Spain. However, many other countries produce marble, too.
As each seam of marble is formed by a unique set of circumstances, Marble from different quarries is often strikingly different. In some cases, even Marble from the same seam can look very different depending on the type and quantity of minerals present. This natural patterning is unrepeatable, each slab is completely unique however this does mean that Marble can be hard to match. This makes it important to make sure you order enough for your whole project at once.
At Surrey Marble & Granite we are experienced natural stone experts, helping customers and trade to create, deliver and install amazing marble features in their home or business.
Our professional team are on hand to offer a smooth experience from initial enquiry to complete installation and aftercare. We offer a wide variety of different colours and styles of marble that can be made into a range of features for your home including bathrooms, kitchen worktops, Marble Staircases, stone flooring and more. You can see some of our most popular Marble stones in our related stones below, very popular with the recent Green Kitchen Trend that we&#;re seeing in !
Speak to one of our Marble experts today to discuss your design requirements.
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