Marble Introduction Part 1 – What is marble and where it is found?
Rocks can basically be classified as igneous, sedimentary and metamorphic. Marble is a metamorphic rock. The main ingredient in marble is Calcium Carbonate (CaCO₃), which is similar to limestone – a sedimentary rock, but the difference here is that marble has gone through a much longer period of formation under pressure, heat and chemical effects which causes recrystallization of minerals in the sedimentary rock and transforms them into something else – a metamorphic rock. It is possible to find marble deposits in areas where various geological effects such as seismic, volcanic activity, build-up of mountains or other geological effects forced limestone or dolomite, both of which are sedimentary rocks and two most common source materials for marble, to morph into marble over a very long time period. Marble can also be classified into various categories in itself, which we will cover in a future post.
Marble is the most widely used stone in luxury architecture, construction and sculpture since the ancient times. It has an appealing shiny look, as it reflects light well. Marble can occur in many colors and textures. It comes mostly in tones of white but other colors including beige, black, green or others are also possible.
Marble deposits are found in many countries. Here we will mention only the top few, that dominate the world market:
Türkiye: The global leader in terms of volume mined and exported raw material, as the country has the largest known marble reserves in the world. Türkiye exports its marble to most countries in the world, mostly to US, China and EU. The “Chinese Marble” which is more commonly known in the US and EU is actually of Turkish origin to some degree, but processed in China and exported from there to almost any country in the world. Turkish marble comes in almost any color and quality variance.
Italy: The first country that comes to mind of many people in the world, when one hears the word “marble”. This is because it is indeed the historical leader, since the ancient Roman times, in terms of volume and quality of marble mined and processed which was widely used in the world for centuries in sculpture and construction. Italian marble is commonly regarded as luxurious, high quality marble and used in high-end projects.
China: It is the top importer and processor of marble, which then exports to the world in greatest volumes. The country itself also has large deposits on its own.
India: Another important player in the world marble industry, Indian marble is exported to many countries. The country also is engaged in large volumes of processing and it is the second processor in the world after China.
Spain, Greece: After Italy, the second and third largest marble producers in EU.
Iran: The country has the largest reserves in the middle east after Türkiye.
Brazil: The leading producer of marble in American continent.
