Marble

This is a short overview. For the background — history, value over time and notable mines — see Marble →

Marble is a metamorphic rock formed when limestone or dolostone is recrystallised by heat and pressure, typically from contact with an igneous intrusion or during mountain-building, converting the original fine-grained calcite or dolomite into a coarser, interlocking crystalline texture. It is extracted as dimension stone in large blocks, cut and polished for building facings, flooring, sculpture and monumental work. True marble is comparatively rare in Britain, where most stone historically marketed as marble is actually unmetamorphosed, polishable limestone rather than true recrystallised marble.