Marble is a rather durable material for a cemetery monument,
but where does marble come from and how is it formed?
Origins of marble
Marble comes from a Greek word that roughly means, “shining
stone,” according to Wikipedia.
In most European languages, the word follows the pronunciation of the Greek
word. English is an exception. The stone, especially when polished, can be
quite shiny. This may also depend on its exact color. In general, the color of
marble depends on where it comes from. For example, Swedish marble often has a
green hue. However, we usually imagine cemetery gravestones to be made out of
white marble. The stone can be found at quarries throughout the planet.
The geology of marble
Marble is a metamorphic rock. That
means it used to be another type of rock, but then due to heat or pressure,
its structure was altered into that of marble. A marble stone comes from
limestone or dolomite. Over time, the grains in the limestone or dolomite,
morph into crystals, thus changing the rock. The marble cross headstone shown
below is white with very little variations in color. Therefore, the rock that
metamorphosed into this gravestone was probably silica-poor. It is possible to
create artificial marble, but that type of stone may not be as strong as real
marble. For that reason, pure marble makes a better headstone. It can be carved
into various shapes, as shown by the cross-shaped headstone below. Throughout
time, artists have used this cherished material to create sculptures and
engravings.
The veins found in other marble stones are the result of
mineral impurities that crystallize.
Drawbacks
Due to marble’s composition, over time, rainwater can affect
marble grave markers. Over many years, rain can interact with the stone and can
make engraved letters hard to read. Luckily, there are restoration processes.
It is entirely possible to take an old monument and make it look like new.
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