Marble

The traditional favourite of stone carvers, easy to carve and one of the most luxurious stones. Marble comes in an infinite variety of colours, depending on where it is quarried, and polishes to a fine finish. From the Renaissance to the nineteenth century white Italian marble was favoured for its resemblance to surviving classical pieces. Alabaster is one of the softest types of marble. When newly quarried it is easily worked on but it gradually hardens with exposure to air.