How to Tell Marbles Apart
Marble is one of the most sought after building supplies with good reason. Since the time of the ancient Greeks, builders have prized marble for its beauty. The luxury and wealth which it conveys as one of the most expensive building materials on the market also makes it popular. Some people prefer granite, as it is more affordable. However, marble remains popular in the luxury home segment. There are more than 3,000 types of marble available, so knowledge of the options is critical for anyone considering using marble in their home. Does this Spark an idea?
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Instructions
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Find out what country the marble is from. This can help you narrow down what type of marble you are looking at. Most marble comes from one of 11 countries. Primary producers of marble include India, Greece, Italy, Spain and Turkey.
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Determine the primary color of the marble. Marble comes in many different colors. While white is among the most common and popular, there is also green, gray, pink, yellow, black and brown marble.
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Take a picture of the marble that you are trying to identify. Go to an online database which lists different types of marble. One site worth checking is the World Stonex site. The country of origin and the color of the marble will narrow down the type that you're trying to identify.
Compare the picture that you took with the pictures of marble which meet the other criteria. This will allow you to identify the exact type that you're looking at.
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Identify the finish type. The finish is determined by the process which has been used to make the marble ready for use as a building material. There are three primary types of finishes seen on marble. Polished, honed and flamed finish are the options.
Polished finish is easy to spot because of the high gloss nature of the stone. Light will reflect to a high degree off of a piece of marble with a polished finish. The incredibly shiny marble which you see in luxury marble walls is polished. Flamed finished marble has a rougher surface. This type of marble looks more like stone, and provides actual texture on the surface of the marble. This is a more common finish in granite, and is commonly seen in floors. This can also be called a sand or abrasive finish. Honed finish marble is very common in floors. Honed marble has a smooth surface like polished marble, but without the shine or reflective qualities.
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Tips & Warnings
Ensure that the material you are trying to identify is actually marble. There are many other types of stone which look like marble which are made from different types of material.
To quickly test if a stone is marble, use an eyedropper to drip a few drops of vinegar on the stone. If it bubbles and fizzes, it means the stone is calcareous. This is the family of stone which marble belongs to. Other types of stone which look like marble, such as certain granites, will not produce this reaction.
Conduct the test on a nonvisible portion of the stone. If it is marble, the stone could become permanently etched.
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- Photo Credit texture_marble_classil_cream image by Sergey Galushko from Fotolia.com
