MAD FOR MARBLE
Considered a luxury good throughout history, marble is like a piece of art because of its distinct beauty and character derived from its veining pattern and color. In this article, we will deep dive into this nature piece of art, from extraction and how every piece of this prized material is utilized in every possible way.
MARBLE 101
Marble is a metamorphic rock, formed when limestone is subjected to heat and pressure. Impurities and minerals such as clay, silt, sand, and iron oxide found in limestone are what constitute marble swirls and colors. Trivia: Rust is a reddish-brown pigmented oxide formed by the reaction of iron and oxygen in the presence of water or air moisture, and may be spotted in traces in marble slabs.
Natural marble comes in a variety of colors, including white, black, red, brown, yellow, green, and gray. The amount and type of impurities found in limestone determine the color of the marble. The most common and widely used white marble comes from a very pure and free-of-impurities limestone. The most famous white marble comes from Carrara in Italy that Michelangelo used for his masterpiece sculpture because of its pure white quality.
MARBLE AS ANTI-THESIS OF DISPOSABLE CULTURE
Marble is extracted from the mountain by means of quarrying. From the extracted block is it then sliced into slabs from which it is graded according to marbling and surface lines. During the extraction process, at least half of the total output may not be used for slab and considered as waste.
Considered as waste for wide surface usage this waste is then used in making other marble products such as terrazzo marble and stucco wall finish. Crushed marble is used to build roads, foundations of buildings, and railroad beds. Because marble takes hundreds of years to produce it is important that each piece extracted is utilized and nothing is put to waste.
Watch out for our next article where we will explore the versatility of marble furniture and how incorporating this material with your existing design to add more flair and elegance to your space.
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