Marble
Metamorphic limestone — the sculptor's stone. Soft enough to carve, hard enough to last.
Marble is limestone that got squeezed and cooked until its calcite recrystallised. That pressure is what gives it the soft glow — light sinks a little way into the crystal before it bounces back, which is why marble looks lit from within and granite looks like a photograph.
How it forms
parent limestone (calcite, CaCO3) process heat + pressure, 1–2 km deep grain coarse calcite crystals famous Carrara, Paros, Pentelic
Working it
Marble carves at roughly half the effort of granite and holds fine detail beautifully, but acid is its enemy — lemon juice etches it in seconds. Keep it sealed, or let it etch and call it a patina. Both are defensible.
