Marble

Gritstone

Marble and Gritstone

Marble

Gritstone

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Definition

Marble is a non-foliated metamorphic rock which is composed of recrystallized carbonate which is formed when limestone is exposed to high temperatures and pressures over a long time

Gritstone or grit is a hard, coarse-grained, siliceous sandstone

History

Origin

Egypt

Pennines, England

Discoverer

Unknown

J.J. Ferber

Etymology

From the Greek marmaros, shining stone and also from the English word marmoreal meaning marble-like

From Grit + Stone

Class

Metamorphic Rocks

Sedimentary Rocks

Sub-Class

Durable Rock, Medium Hardness Rock

Durable Rock, Hard Rock

Family

Group

Other Categories

Medium Grained Rock, Opaque Rock

Coarse Grained Rock, Opaque Rock

Texture

Granular

Earthy

Color

Black, Blue, Brown, Grey, Pink, White

Beige, Black, Brown, Cream, Dark Brown, Green, Grey, Light Green, Light to Dark Grey, Pink, Red, White, Yellow

Maintenance

Less

Durability

Durable

Water Resistant

✔ ✘

Scratch Resistant

✔ ✘

Stain Resistant

✔ ✘

Wind Resistant

✔ ✘

Acid Resistant

✔ ✘

Appearance

Veined and Shiny

Layered and Foliated

Uses

Architecture

Interior Uses

Bathrooms, Countertops, Decorative Aggregates, Entryways, Floor Tiles, Homes, Hotels, Interior Decoration, Kitchens, Stair Treads

Countertops, Decorative Aggregates, Homes, Interior Decoration

Exterior Uses

As Building Stone, As Facing Stone, Garden Decoration, Office Buildings, Paving Stone

As Building Stone, Garden Decoration, Office Buildings, Paving Stone

Other Architectural Uses

Curbing

Industry

Construction Industry

As Dimension Stone

Construction Aggregate, Roadstone

Medical Industry

Antiquity Uses

Artifacts, Jewellery, Monuments, Sculpture, Small Figurines

Artifacts, Monuments, Sculpture

Other Uses

Commercial Uses

Cemetery Markers, Commemorative Tablets, Creating Artwork, Curling, Laboratory bench tops, Paper Industry, Tombstones, Used in aquariums, Whiting material in toothpaste, paint and paper

An Oil and Gas Reservoir, As a Feed Additive for Livestock, Gemstone, Metallurgical Flux, Production of Lime, Soil Conditioner, Source of Magnesia (MgO), Tombstones

Types

Breccia Marble, Carrara Marble, Calacatta marble, Cultured Marble, Polished Marble, Honed Marble, Sand Marble

Sedimentary rock

Features

Available in Lots of Colors and Patterns, Easily splits into thin plates, Generally rough to touch, Is one of the oldest rock

Available in Lots of Colors and Patterns, Generally rough to touch, Very fine grained rock

Archaeological Significance

Monuments

Famous Monuments

Al Aqsa Mosque in Jerusalem, Buland Darwaza in Agra, India, Capitol Hill Building, Washington DC, Charminar in Hyderabad, India, Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus in Maharashtra, India, Ephesus in Turkey, Faisal Mosque in Islamabad, Pakistan, Humayun's Tomb in Delhi, India, Jama Masjid in Delhi, India, Lotus Temple in New Delhi, India, Louvre in Paris, France, Mysore Palace in Karnataka, India, Neuschwanstein in Bavaria, Palace of Parliament in Bucharest, Romania, Parthenon in Greece, Potala Palace in Lahasa, Tibet, Prophet’s Mosque in Medina, Qutb Minar in India, Saint Basil's Cathedral in Moscow, Russia, St. Peter’s Cathedral in Vatican City, Taj Mahal in Agra, India, Tower of Pisa, Italy, Victoria Memorial in Kolkata, India, Washington Monument, US

Sculpture

Famous Sculptures

Ajanta Caves in Maharashtra, India, Bust of Artemis, Elephanta Caves in Maharashtra, India, Lincoln Memorial in America

Pictographs

Petroglyphs

Figurines

Fossils

Absent

Present

Formation

Marble is a metamorphic rock produced from limestone in the earth crust. It is formed by the metamorphism of limestone.

Gritstone is a type of sedimentary rock which was formed on the floors of wide river deltas where the grit deposits were laid down, with every tide or flood dumping another layer of sediment.

Composition

Mineral Content

Garnet, Graphite, Olivine, Pyrite, Quartz

Calcite, Clay Minerals, Feldspar, Micas, Quartz

Compound Content

CaO, Iron(III) Oxide, FeO, MgO, Silicon Dioxide

Aluminium Oxide, CaO, Iron(III) Oxide, Potassium Oxide, MgO, Sodium Oxide, Silicon Dioxide

Transformation

Metamorphism

✔ ✘

Types of Metamorphism

Impact Metamorphism

Weathering

✔ ✘

Types of Weathering

Biological Weathering, Chemical Weathering, Mechanical Weathering

Erosion

✔ ✘

Types of Erosion

Chemical Erosion, Coastal Erosion

Properties

Physical Properties

Hardness

3-46-7

1 7

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Grain Size

Medium Grained

Coarse Grained

Fracture

Conchoidal

Streak

White

Porosity

Less Porous

Highly Porous

Luster

Dull to Pearly to Subvitreous

Dull

Compressive Strength

115.00 N/mm²70.00 N/mm²

0.15 450

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Cleavage

Perfect

Toughness

Specific Gravity

2.86-2.872.250

0 8.4

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Transparency

Opaque

Density

2.4-2.7 g/cm³2.2 g/cm³

0 1400

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Thermal Properties

Specific Heat Capacity

0.88 kJ/Kg K0.92 kJ/Kg K

0.14 3.2

👆🏻

Resistance

Heat Resistant

Heat Resistant, Impact Resistant, Pressure Resistant

Reserves

Deposits in Eastern Continents

Asia

China, India

China, India, Kazakhstan, Mongolia, Russia, Uzbekistan

Africa

Namibia

Namibia, Nigeria, South Africa

Europe

Italy, Spain

Austria, Denmark, Germany, Great Britain, Netherlands, Poland, Sweden, Switzerland, United Kingdom

Others

Greenland

Deposits in Western Continents

North America

Canada, USA

South America

Brazil

Deposits in Oceania Continent

Australia

New South Wales, New Zealand, Queensland, Victoria

New South Wales, New Zealand, Western Australia

All about Marble and Gritstone Properties

Know all about Marble and Gritstone properties here. All properties of rocks are important as they define the type of rock and its application. Marble belongs to Metamorphic Rocks while Gritstone belongs to Sedimentary Rocks.Texture of Marble is Granular whereas that of Gritstone is Earthy. Marble appears Veined and Shiny and Gritstone appears Layered and Foliated. The luster of Marble is dull to pearly to subvitreous while that of Gritstone is dull. Marble is available in black, blue, brown, grey, pink, white colors whereas Gritstone is available in beige, black, brown, cream, dark brown, green, grey, light green, light to dark grey, pink, red, white, yellow colors. The commercial uses of Marble are cemetery markers, commemorative tablets, creating artwork, curling, laboratory bench tops, paper industry, tombstones, used in aquariums, whiting material in toothpaste, paint and paper and that of Gritstone are an oil and gas reservoir, as a feed additive for livestock, gemstone, metallurgical flux, production of lime, soil conditioner, source of magnesia (mgo), tombstones.