Marble

Marble is metamorphosed limestone, composed of very pure calcite?. The softness of marble and relative isotropy? and homogeneity make marble very desirable for sculpture and building stone. Although marble comes from limestone, the temperatures and pressures necessary to form marble usually destroy any fossils that may have been present in the limestone.

Kinds of marble:

Carrera? (Italy)

Pentelicus? (Greece)

Proconnesus? (Turkey)

In the building trades, the term "marble" is used for any massive, crystalline calcitic rock (and some non-calcitic rocks) useful for building stone. For example, [Tennessee Marble]? is really a massive, highly fossiliferous gray to pink to maroon Ordovician dolostone?, known as the [Holston Formation]? by geologists.

A "marble" is also a small glass sphere used for playing games and for decoration.The

Marble derives its Name from the Greek Marmaros, white Stone.

If this can be verified, it should stay.

In folklore, marble is associated with the astrological sign of Gemini. Pure white marble is an emblem of purity. It is also an emblem of immortality, and an ensurer of success in education.

This can and should stay provided more details are provided. For example, the folklore of which folk, exactly? Rocks and minerals aren't really all that intrinsically interesting to most people (I *am* a geologist), folklore, history and cultural traditions are important.