Marble
Rock
About it
Recrystallized limestone or dolostone of interlocking grains that sparkle; a knife scratches it, and calcite marble fizzes in acid. Carrara in Italy and Vermont are famous sources of carving marble.
- Type
- Rock (metamorphic)
- Group
- Metamorphic (non-foliated)
- Hardness (Mohs)
- 3–4
- Specific gravity
- 2.6–2.9
- Lustre
- vitreous (glassy)
- Colours
- white, grey, pink, green, black, veined
- Transparency
- translucent, opaque
- Cleavage and fracture
- granular; grains show cleavage flashes
Typical values: real specimens vary. For more, see mindat.org.