Have you ever wondered why so many old buildings are decorated with marble floors, walls, and details? Or why many of the classic statues displayed in the world’s best museums were carved out of solid marble?

The reason why is because marble is and always has been one of the most durable materials on Earth. And it also happens to be one of the most beautiful and luxurious. People have been using marble in public buildings, homes, and museum pieces for thousands of years.

Marble Restoration NYC — Where Marble Comes From

Marble comes in a variety of colors and patterns. While much of the marble used for statues, fireplaces, stairways, counters, and floors are white, marble also can be blue/gray, black, green, pink, or even red.

There is also striped marble. Sometimes the streaks found in marble can look as if they were actually painted on by hand. But actually, these designs were already in the marble when it was mined from the ground.

Marble is a metamorphic rock, which means that it has gone through a series of changes while it was still in the ground. These changes occur due to the heat and pressure that naturally occurs beneath the Earth’s surface over time, often over thousand of years.

Marble Restoration NYC — The Beginnings of Marble

Marble actually begins its life as ordinary limestone that is formed by hardened fossils. As the Earth around this rock undergoes changes due to heat and pressure, this limestone eventually gets compressed forming underground sheets of marble that can grow in size up to hundreds of feet long.

Marble can form practically anywhere. But most marble today is mined in India, Greece, Spain, Turkey, Italy, and even here in the United States.

People have been using marble for centuries as a durable, luxurious decorative stone.