There is no denying that marble is a symbol of royalty and that everything made of marble is luxurious. This is why Shah Jahan picked the most magnificent Makrana white marble, Asia's first Global Heritage Stone Resource (GHSR), to construct the Taj Mahal—one of the world's seven wonders. It's no surprise that it draws millions of visitors from all around the world. He erected this massive monument made entirely of shiny white marble in memory of his favorite wife, Mumtaz. Let's have a look at some of the interesting facts about marble stone.
Mable: A limestone that underwent too much pressure!
Facts About Marble Stone
Marble is derived from the Ancient Greek word 'mármaron,' which means "crystalline rock, shining stone.”
Its history dates back to the 3rd century where Greeks and Romans used it for architectural purposes and to build beautiful monuments and statues.
Marble is often found in the aged layers of the Earth’s crust, which have been subjected to intense folding and igneous intrusions.
It is a metamorphic rock formed from limestone that is exposed to intense heat and pressure causing the calcite/dolomite layers in the limestone to recrystallize.
White marble is formed when pure limestone undergoes a metamorphosis. Makrana marble, for example, is a form of white marble mined in one of the world's oldest quarries, in Makrana, Rajasthan.
The mineral and organic impurities in marble give it its color and patterns (veining). Iron and feldspar, for example, give it a pink or red tint, whereas iron oxide deposits give it a yellow or brown appearance.
Similarly, the very famous Marquina black marble from Spain is formed due to the large deposits of organic matter and carbonates in the limestone.
Although marble can be found all around the world, there are four countries where it is most prevalent: India, China, Spain, and Italy. They account for half of the world’s marble production. The most famous marble in the world— Carrara comes from Italy.
Other countries where marble is found in abundance are Greece, the USA, Turkey, France, Belgium, Vietnam, and the UK.
Back in the days, marble mining was a Herculean task, laborers used to carve it out using wooden beams, pulleys, and other manual tools. Nowadays, synthetic diamond wires and diamond-tipped drills are used to extract the rock from the mother wall.
Marble is a fine-grained, translucent stone that allows light to pass through and generates a subtle glow that lends a human-like look to its statues. It hardens with age and can be polished to a high sheen, making it ideal for carving statues and monuments.
Marble is a soft, porous stone (ranked a 3 on the Mohs hardness scale) that is easily scratched, chipped, cracked, and broken, mandating a high level of upkeep and care. Even a weakly acidic substance such as vinegar can etch and damage marble.
The Parthenon in Greece, the Washington Monument in the United States of America, the Tower of Pisa in Italy, the Statue of David in Italy, and, as noted in the opening, our very own Taj Mahal are just a few of the world's famed heritages created entirely of marble.
The beauty of marble stone lies in the fact that no two stones are alike. They are one-of-a-kind works of art created by mother nature over centuries, and this is why marble art has undoubtedly become a thing of this era. If you can't afford to create marble walls, bathrooms, and big monuments for your home like the Royals, well! You can surely afford to decorate your interiors with marble art and sculpture, giving your home a royal feel. Take a look at our collection of handcrafted marble statues for your home decor.
Mable: A limestone that underwent too much pressure!