What’s the difference between marble and granite?

Other than their looks? I hear you ask. Yes – marble and granite are about as similar as chalk and cheese. Cheese?! I hear you protest – hold on, you’ll catch my drift momentarily!

Although both are stones and both are quarried from the earth, granite and marble (and marble’s relatives – limestone, onyx and travertine) are very different from each other.

Granite is a deep, dark, mysterious fellow, born from unbelievable pressure and heat, and formed deep in the earth’s mantle. Imagine being sat on by an elephant in the middle of the Serengeti for millions of years and you’ll have a rough idea what granite goes through before it comes to us all tough and glorious-looking. All this time and pressure and heat result in a very hard and resistant stone made of crystallized minerals.

The marble family (limestone, travertine, marble, onyx – think a finely boned, delicate, elegant and stately Italian woman) starts out as sediment – animal skeletons and shells, plant matter, silt – at the bottom of bodies of water. From such inglorious beginnings…. After millions of years, all this crunchy compost solidifies into a unique stone. Because its main component is calcium (from all the bones and shells and stuff), it is much more easily affected by acids such as vinegar and lemon juice.

So where granite is the tough older brother, forged from the relentless fires of the planet’s core, marble is the dainty and delicate younger sister, who turned her seashell collection into a stunningly beautiful stone.

About as similar as chalk and cheese, I said; well, put a chunk of chalk and cheese next to each other and they may look similar, but pour a glass of water over them and you’ll quickly see the difference.

Marble is much more porous than granite and needs more delicate care and attention to keep it happy.

Chalk and cheese, eh? I’m quite pleased with that one…….