08 Nov What are hard marbles?

The most wonderful ancient buildings and stone works of art known to mankind are still standing today. They are witnesses and reminders of our long-standing relationship with the natural marble as a functional element to inspire the development of spaces and create ways to express our ideas and feelings through masterpieces that transcend centuries and even millennia.

Marble is a metamorphic rock, resulting from the chemical modification of limestone and the environment in which it is found. The process known as metamorphism consists of a response of rocks and minerals to pressure and heat. In the end, it is composed mainly of two predominant minerals: Dolomite and Calcite.

MARBLE HARDNESS

To determine whether a marble is hard, simply check its chemical composition. Geologically, a material is classified as dolomitic when 50% of its weight is composed of the mineral “dolomite”. Therefore, the higher this percentage, the harder the stone. That is why we also call them “dolomites”.dolomitic marbles".

A dolomite is a calcium magnesium carbonate. Magnesium is well known as a natural acidity neutralizer. Its use in agriculture, to control soil acidity and even in medicine, as pills that aid digestion, are good popular examples of the properties of this mineral, which also influences natural stones.

Therefore, marbles with high dolomitic content are more resistant to be affected when in contact with acidic elements, such as lemon juice, wine, among others.

The two most common tests to learn more about the hardness of marble are: absorption rate test (wet weight x dry weight), and the Mohs Scale.

MOHS SCALE

In the field of Mineralogy, to quantify the hardness of a mineral, the Mohs Scale is used, developed by the German mineralogist Friedrich Mohs in 1812 and consisting of 10 minerals organized in order of hardness.

Talc is the hardest mineral on the scale, so it can be scratched by any of the others. Diamond, on the other hand, is the hardest, so it scratches all other minerals and cannot be scratched by any of them, only by another diamond.

To determine the hardness of a mineral, it is necessary to scratch the standard mineral (from the scale) with the mineral you wish to classify and check which one has the scratch on its surface.

The fingernail, for example, scratches talc and plaster, but is scratched by calcite and, therefore, has a hardness of 2,5. Slate, used in the manufacture of blackboards, for example, can scratch topaz, but not corundum, and, therefore, is at level 8,5 on the scale.

HARD MARBLE

Hard marble is between 6 and 9, and can vary depending on the degree of dolomitic mineral present in the stone. Thus, we break the taboo that marble is not ideal for use in kitchens, for example.

In the infographic above we can see that the kitchen knife scratches 5,5, that is, the hard marble of the Zucchi It is more resistant. In addition to performing well in kitchens, dolomitic marble can be used in other indoor and outdoor environments.

 

 

 

In sequence: Milano, Valentino and Michelangelo Prime.

However, our ornamental rock specialist, André Zucchi, warns that “this stone is still marble and needs special care, do not try to let your dolomitic marble sleep with wine and lemon stains from one day to the next”.

As our Commercial Director, Leonardo Pellegrino, emphasizes, “dolomites are taking the use of natural stones in the architecture and design industry to an even higher level.” Dolomite marbles are the most sophisticated and luxurious type of marble. “Not only do they tend to have a very attractive aesthetic appearance, but they are also more resistant to scratches, stains and corrosion than classic marbles,” he says. In other words, they are hard marbles with an incredible appearance and great application performance.

The hard marbles available in Zucchi Brazil are: Branco Moura, Calacatta Columbus, Calacatta Berrini, Matarazzo, Michelangelo Prime, Milan, and Valentino.

BRAZILIAN MARBLE REVOLUTION

the secret of Zucchi lies in its production capacity and the technology of its industrial line, which is one of the most modern in the ornamental stone market. In 2017, we launched the first factory in the Americas exclusively for processing marble. This innovation was responsible for considerably improving the finish and quality of Brazilian marble. Zucchi, which became one of the most desired, especially in the North American market.

Welcome to the #ZucchiWay!