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Marble, crystalline, compact variety of
metamorphosed limestone, capable of taking a high polish and used
principally for statuary and building purposes. Commercially the
term is extended to include any rock composed of calcium carbonate
that takes a polish, and includes some ordinary limestones; the term
is further extended in the loose designation of stones such as alabaster,
serpentine, and sometimes granite.
The surface of marble crumbles readily when exposed to a moist, acid
atmosphere, but marble is durable in a dry atmosphere and when protected
from rain. The purest form of marble is statuary marble, which is
white with visible crystalline structure. The distinctive lustre
of statuary marble is due to the effect caused by light penetrating
a short distance into the stone and then being reflected from the
surfaces of inner crystals. The most famous variety of statuary marble
is the Pentelic marble from the quarries of Mount Pentelikon in Attica,
the material used by the great sculptors of ancient Greece, including
Phidias and Praxiteles. The Elgin marbles are made of Pentelic marble.
Parian marble, also used by ancient Greek sculptors and architects,
was quarried chiefly at Mount Parpessa on the Grecian island of Paros.
Carrara marble, occurring abundantly in the Apuan Alps of Italy and
quarried in the region about Carrara, Massa, and Serravezza, was
used in Rome for architectural purposes in the time of Augustus,
the first emperor, but the finer varieties of sculptural marble were
discovered later. The greatest works of Michelangelo are made of
this marble; it is used extensively by contemporary sculptors.
Other varieties of marble contain varying amounts of impurities,
which cause the variegated patterns of colours for which many marbles
are prized. They are used in building, particularly for interiors,
and also in small ornamental works, such as lamp bases, tabletops,
desk sets, and various novelties. Statuary and building varieties
of marble are distributed over the world in thick and extensive deposits.
In India there are various varieties and colours of marble which
is generally quaried in North India , However some recent varieties
have also started being quaried in the South of IndiaFrom India we
can offer a wide varieties of Marble some of which are shown here.
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