by Candace Nelson

For thousands of years, people have used granite and marble to protect their places of power and wealth. Communities have built palaces, libraries, temples, and banks from stone, but most individuals have found it too expensive to install in their homes or workplaces. Recently, a group of companies from southern Brazil have joined forces to provide affordable finished products made from these luxurious materials.

While both granite and marble can last for centuries, their distinct geological origins dictate different features and uses. Most commercial marble formed more than 230 million years ago, when heat and pressure within Earth's crust rearranged the molecules in limestone, forcing it to recrystallize.

Original impurities in the limestone, as well as the surrounding temperature and the presence or absence of water during marble's formation affected its mineral composition, thereby yielding many beautiful colors and patterns.   >>>

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The marble floor in a recent commercial building in Curitiba, Brazil: sign of a flourishing trade in natural stone. Photo: © Kevin Matthews/AI Granite flooring in a new apartment building in Curitiba. Photo: © Kevin Matthews/AI   Click on thumbnail images to view full-size pictures.