posted on December 31, 2000 02:16:45 PM new
How do I tell man- made marble from the real thing? I bought a pedestal on Ebay and am wondering if it is man made marble or not. The listing did not state which. What is cultured marble? Thanks, Lauren
posted on December 31, 2000 02:33:38 PM new
Are you talking about reamalgamated (reconstituted) marble? If so, it's formed in a mold out of "real" marble dust. Natural marble must be carved, so costs much more.
You can identify the molded stuff by it's lack of grain. Real marble, being natural stone, has grain and imperfections to it.
posted on December 31, 2000 02:44:52 PM new
This pedestal has a very "mottled" look to it with variations and swirls of black, gray, white and streaks of a goldish brown.
It is sectioned into five pieces which are hollow. All the pieces fit together with a steel rod through the center which is bolted on the top and bottom. Once it is put together it looks like one solid piece.
The listing stated "from the mountains of Italy" as where the marble originated.
Would marble dust create a solid white or pale gray look throughout? Would it have a polished look to it?
posted on December 31, 2000 03:45:50 PM new
Lauren...
Hmmm. You've got me. All I've seen are relatively small pieces of statuary...highly polished...but, not mottled in any way. I must say I've never seen true marble that is hollow and bolted together as you describe, but I can't say it's never been done. Bolted together, yes...hollow, no.
When you think about it...marble is mined in blocks of stone. The only reason I could think of to hollow it out would be to lessen its weight. Sadly, I'm no expert on this. I hope one comes by to help you...
posted on December 31, 2000 04:00:23 PM new
Thanks Toke, It is 40" tall and the center is chisoled(sp) or drilled out so that the steel rod can go through the center. I think it is real marble because of all the unusual veining.
The only thing I do not like is that the top 3 sections of the pedestal seem to be a different pattern of marble (without the brownish streaks) and due to this it does not look quite right. I think it is a mistake in packaging. He had quite a few for sale.
I have e-mailed the seller with pics so that hopefully it can be corrected. Lauren
[ edited by lsst on Dec 31, 2000 04:01 PM ]
posted on December 31, 2000 04:19:50 PM new
Aha! It does sound like authentic marble. You're probably right...if he's mass producing them, the parts are likely to be mix and match. Good luck...and Happy New Year...
