Usage of Marble in the Ancient and Modern World

Marble is a metamorphic rock composed of crystallized carbonate minerals such as calcite and dolomite. The word marble may also be used to designate metamorphosed limestone. Marble has been used in architecture and the fine arts for thousands of years and is renowned for its durability and pleasing aesthetic appearance. Naturally formed marble rock is composed of an interlocking mosaic of carbonated crystals. Pure white marble is the direct result of metamorphism of a very pure limestone or dolomite protolith. Colored marble is distinguished by swirls and veins that form due to various mineral impurities such as clay, silt, sand, iron oxides, and chert. Some highly favored variations of marble include black and green marble. In the Western world, pure white marble has been prized since antiquity for its unadulterated appearance. This preference is also due to white marble’s relative softness, relative isotropy, resistance to shattering, and homogenous properties. The ancient Greeks and Romans used white marble to immortalize their deities, kings, and philosophers. Moreover, white marble is known for its ability to transmit light, giving statuary the appearance of being sentient. In the modern world, white marble is a symbol of prestige, power, and refined taste. Famous marble statues include David by Michelangelo and the Venus de Milo which is now housed in the Louvre, Paris. Construction marble is a type of stone composed of calcite, dolomite, or serpentine which is capable of being polished. Construction marble is used primarily in the construction of buildings and monuments, incorporated into interior decoration, marble countertops atlanta, and used to make objets d’art. Great columns and pillars constructed of fine marble also supported the great temples and public buildings of the ancient Greeks and Romans, as well as the churches of the Byzantines and Renaissance Italians. Examples of great buildings that incorporated construction marble include Hagia Sophia in Istanbul and St. Peter’s Basilica in Rome. According to the United States Geological Survey, U.S. dimension marble production in 2006 was 46,400 tons, valued at $18.1 million. Moreover, the use of explosives in the quarrying of marble countertops atlanta is limited because of the danger of shattering the marble rock. Channeling machines that use chisel-edged steel bars make cuts about 5cm wide and a few meters deep into the marble deposit. Whenever possible, advantage is taken of the natural joints already present in the marble countertops atlanta to extract the marble deposit.