"Marble has always been the most elegant and beautiful structural material. Its near-immortal endurance led to its use in religious and monumental works in ancient times; it is still prized for its strength as well as its infinitely decorative character." "This book traces the history of its use and provides valuable information on the characteristics of various premium marbles: their esthetic features and defects, physical-mechanical characteristics, and how they are commonly worked and used. Aimed at bridging the gap between designers not necessarily expert in the marble industry and suppliers/producers, the book explains the terminology and classification of marble and provides information on the availability and sources of materials."--BOOK JACKET.Title Summary field provided by Blackwell North America, Inc. All Rights Reserved

"[A]ccompanying CD-ROM contains all the sample swatches in an easy-to-use TIFF format ..."--Page 4 of cover.

In this volume scientists from different disciplines present their experience and their scientific work in progress. These concern the properties of a series of stones that have been used for the erection of some of the most important stone monuments of international cultural heritage and are also used today for substitution of missing parts or completion of damaged ones. It deals with the subject globally and contains unpublished research results.