Marble
Image: <a href="//commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?title=User:GAQ88200&action=edit&redlink=1" class="new" title="User:GAQ88200 (page does not exist)">GAQ88200</a> (CC BY-SA 3.0)
Mineral NameMarble
Chemical FormulaCaCO3 (primary mineral: calcite)
Mohs Hardness3
Streak Colorwhite
Cleavageperfect rhombohedral in three directions (for calcite)
Fractureconchoidal to uneven
Specific Gravity2.71
Colorswhite, gray, pink, black, green, yellow
Transparencytranslucent to opaque
Type LocalityCarrara (Italy), Vermont (USA), Paros (Greece)
Mineral GroupMetamorphic rock (composed primarily of carbonates)
Usessculpture, building material, decorative stone, aggregate, calcium carbonate source
Associated Mineralsdolomite, quartz, mica, pyrite, graphite, tremolite, diopside
Raritycommon
Description
This microscopic image, likely taken in cross-polarized light, shows a single crystal of a mineral, characteristic of calcite within marble, exhibiting distinct polysynthetic twinning and vibrant, high-order interference colors.
Geological Context
Marble is a metamorphic rock formed from the recrystallization of sedimentary carbonate rocks, such as limestone or dolostone, under intense heat and pressure during regional or contact metamorphism. This process transforms the original carbonate grains into an interlocking mosaic of larger crystals.
