metamorphic
Brown Marble
Metamorphic Limestone (CaCO3)
Hardness 3 on Mohs scale; color ranges from dark brown to grey-brown with lighter calcite veining; vitreous to dull luster; granoblastic interlocking crystalline texture; reacts strongly with diluted acid.
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Physical properties
Hardness 3 on Mohs scale; color ranges from dark brown to grey-brown with lighter calcite veining; vitreous to dull luster; granoblastic interlocking crystalline texture; reacts strongly with diluted acid.
Formation & geological history
Formed through the regional or contact metamorphism of limestone or dolostone under intense heat and pressure deep within Earth's crust, recrystallizing the original carbonate minerals.
Uses & applications
Widely used as an architectural decorative stone, for countertops, flooring tiles, fireplace surrounds, wall cladding, and ornamental carvings.
Geological facts
The distinctive veining in marble is caused by mineral impurities such as clay, silt, sand, iron oxides, or chert that were originally present as layers in the limestone sedimentary parent rock.
Field identification & locations
Identified by its softness (scratched by a steel blade), effervescence with weak acid, swirling vein pattern, and sugary crystalline appearance on unpolished surfaces. Commonly quarried in Italy, Spain, Turkey, China, and the United States.
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