| Most people know what marble countertops are, but | | | | that have been caught in the stone, such as clay, silt, |
| just where does this beautiful material come from? It | | | | sand, iron oxides or chert. Green marble usually |
| comes from the Earth, but there's more to it than | | | | comes about because of serpentine in the rock, |
| that. While marble is most often used for kitchen | | | | which results from limestone that was high in |
| countertop fabrication and installation, as well as for | | | | magnesium content or dolostone with silica impurities. |
| large monuments and museums, it has a vastly | | | | Marble without any color is made of the purest |
| complex history. Marble has been used throughout | | | | calcium carbonate, which is most popular for kitchen |
| the centuries, for everything from works of art, | | | | countertop fabrication and installation. The clear |
| pyramid decoration and, of course, today's marble | | | | marble is also popular for sculptures. The ancient |
| countertops. | | | | Greeks were some of the first people to use marble |
| The stone we call marble is created through the | | | | for sculpture and other purposes, and so the name |
| metamorphosis of limestone or dolostone, and is | | | | of the stone is also derived from ancient Greek |
| made of calcite. Marble comes to exist from rare | | | | language. The word "marble" comes from the Greek |
| contact with those sedimentary carbonate rocks, | | | | "marmaros," which means "shining stone." This is also |
| which causes the rock to completely re-crystallize | | | | the origin for the English word "marmoreal" which |
| into an interlocking mosaic of calcite, aragonite and/or | | | | means "marble-like." |
| dolomite crystals. The temperatures and pressures | | | | The use of marble for so many ancient Greek and |
| that are necessary for marble to be formed usually | | | | Roman works of art has made the stone somewhat |
| destroy any fossils and sediment that were in the | | | | of a symbol for classic design and high fashion. This is |
| original rock. This means the material that people use | | | | why marble countertops are still associated with |
| for kitchen countertop fabrication and installation will | | | | upper class homes, though marble is often used |
| be as clean and solid as possible. | | | | sparingly throughout many more modest home |
| Other than marble countertops, the material is also | | | | designs. In folklore, marble is also often associated |
| very often used for sculptures. The word marble | | | | with the astrological sign of Gemini and pure white |
| that we use today typically refers to pure white | | | | marble is an emblem of purity. It is also an emblem of |
| marble, which comes from the purest limestone. | | | | immortality, and an insurer of success in education. |
| There are other colors of marble that people use for | | | | For all these reasons, marble is a material that has a |
| sculptures and kitchen countertops, though. Other | | | | reputation for strength, purity, beauty, longevity and |
| colors of marble usually come about due to minerals | | | | style. |