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 (primarily)
Mohs Hardness3
Streak ColorWhite
CleavagePerfect rhombohedral in three directions
FractureConchoidal to uneven
Specific Gravity2.71
Colorswhite, grey, pink, reddish, yellowish
TransparencyTranslucent to opaque
Type LocalityWorldwide
Mineral GroupMetamorphic Rock (composed primarily of Carbonate minerals)
Usesconstruction, sculpture, decorative stone, industrial filler
Associated Mineralscalcite, dolomite, quartz, mica, graphite, pyrite, hematite
Raritycommon
Description
This microscopic image displays numerous small, irregularly shaped mineral grains, predominantly white and translucent, with some reddish and yellowish particles, scattered across a dark field, with a needle pointing into the view.
Geological Context
Marble is a non-foliated metamorphic rock formed when limestone or dolostone undergoes recrystallization due to intense heat and pressure, typically associated with regional or contact metamorphism. This process results in an interlocking mosaic of carbonate crystals.
