History has witnessed the use of marbles in the royal palaces, or in sculptures, temples, and other forms of constructions. It also managed to make its place in the interiors in the form of a curvaceous vase, a circular table or a streamlined cladding option, marble also was used in some jewellery pieces. One of the Seven Wonders of the World which was built by Shahjahan for her beloved Mumtaj is also built with the stone called marble. Even today it is one of the most sought-after construction surfaces. No wonder even today it is called the royal stone.

MORE ON MARBLE
In India the roots of the marble lies in Rajasthan. They are the major suppliers along with Gujarat, Orissa, Madhya Pradesh and Andhra Pradesh. The quarries are sold in bids, and more than one type of stone can be obtained from a single quarry. The marble stone is named after the place from where it is sourced. Makrana, Rajgadiya and Alwar marbles come from places in Rajasthan, while the Ambaji variety comes from Gujarat.

The cost of the stone is calculated taking in account various factors including available resources on the site, the quality of marble and the transportation costs. Prices range from Rs 40 per square foot for marble leftover pieces of stone to about Rs 1,400 per square foot for a spotless, white Makrana. Some marbles are imported from other countries and their price varies. Most of them get damaged during transportation. They are then repaired, repolished and then sold.

BEFORE BUYING THE MARBLE

Look that the slabs don’t have patches tiny holes and spots. .Ensure that the slabs are not oddly scattered since these are difficult to cut into uniform size. Marble vendors tend to hide cracks the stone using epoxy. Spill water and the water seeps through the cracks which will help you judge the density of the cracks. Broken pieces are free of cost and can be used for skirting. Bang on the stone with another piece of marble or any hard stone. Good-quality dense marble gives a clear ringing noise. Always buy all stone slabs from the same block. Do mark the chosen slabs so that they are not changed during transportation.

VARIOUS CHARS

1. SIZE: Larger the size achieved during quarrying, the higher its value. The slab size depends upon the density of the crystals in the stone. The lower the density, the weaker will be the stone, ultimately restricting its size. On the other hand, if the crystal density is too high, the stone may turn brittle.
2. DENSITY: Thicker slabs yield larger stones. A thin slab is prone to cracking, disallowing a large-sized slab.
3. POROSITY: Smaller crystals yield a denser stone, thereby reducing its porosity. Marble of a lower density tends to absorb any spilled liquids, making it prone to staining.
4. COLOUR: The colour of the stone is region-specific. Note that a single-colour marble is weaker than a marble with mixed grains.