WHAT SO GOOD FOR ITALIAN MARBLE
Italian marble is considered to be superior by many due to its purity, durability, and beautiful white color. The fact that many buildings, sculptures, and other works of art made centuries ago out of Carrara marble still exist today is considered a testament to its longevity.
Marble has been used for centuries not only in construction but in art too, for statues and vases, for example, thanks to its resilient nature. Marble can be polished to give a high shine due to the way that light reflects off of the large, pure crystals. A simple sheet of polished marble with its exquisite veining can, in its own right, be a work of art produced by nature.
Part of the reason for the purity and durability of Italian marble is the way it was formed. Marble is basically crystallized limestone. When limestone (a sedimentary rock) is met with high temperature and great pressure, large crystals form and bind together to create marble (a metamorphic rock.) The intense heat destroys most of the impurities once found in the stone. Left behind are large sections of white marble with varied colored veins running through it.
The color and boldness of the veins vary with the amount and type of minerals that are present in the limestone. This naturally varies based on the location of the marble, making every marble slab completely unique.
Another reason that Italian marble is thought to be superior comes simply from the rich stone working heritage of Italy. They were the first to streamline and perfect quarrying methods still used today. The Italians have set very high standards for quality control and do everything with precision. In fact, Italians are still thought of as some of the most skilled cutters and carvers in the stone world today.