Cipollino marble

Cipollino is the name for calcareous natural stones with characteristic streaky wavy texture.

Explanation of terms

The main feature of individual marble and limestone types are characteristic band and wavy occurring structures by embedded minerals, mainly in shades of green. In this case one speaks of Cipollin marble. The Russian Petro graph Franz Loewinson - Lessing describes this group of rocks in his Petrographical lexicon of 1893 as follows: " Cipollin - often in layers of metal mica and talc -rich limestones, often by Schieferstructur to the Kalkglimmerschiefer approaching. "

In the context of modern petrographic nomenclature, the term is considered obsolete although it occurs sporadically in geoscience use of language. In this sense refers to a rich Chloritanteilen or other sheet silicates Metakarbonatgestein as Cipollin.

Etymology, name variants

The term derives from the Italian word for onion cipolla from (Latin cepa ). It refers to a particular look and feel that decoration rocks that can be referred to as onion marble, mutatis mutandis, as they have similarities with the layer structure of an onion. The use of this term is very old and widely used today, even though it does not correspond to petrographic nomenclature. In ancient times there was no scientific or rock known union distinguishing features according to our current understanding. For this reason, classifications were made primarily by visual features. Because of its striking distinction from other decoration rocks he is in many languages ​​in use. Starting from the Italian word cipollino to find equivalents in other languages ​​, such as French: cipolin, Spanish: Cipolino, English:. Cipolino, poln: Cipolino, Russ: чиполино

Chance Cippolino the spelling is found in the modern international natural stone trade.

In the scientific literature, the term was input by Alexandre Brongniart (1813 ) and Louis Cordier (1868 ).

History

The oldest and most influential names so use appears to be according to the available sources of marbles carysticum. It is a marble from the southern tip of the Greek island of Evia. The ancient mining sites are located north-east, above the town Carystus, at the foothills of Ochi Mountains, continue about 10 km north- west of Carystus in Marmari Town ( Marmarion ) and near the town of Styra. From the Mamarion in ancient times the most desirable pieces to have come. This unusually beautiful marble that conveyed Roman authority to Italy to use it for decorative purposes, so columns, flooring and wall coverings, representative in Rome (such as the Roman Forum ). A particularly outstanding example of application, the columns of the Temple of Antoninus and Faustina. It can be found, famous for its applications in Rome, as decorative stone and other places in the Roman Empire. The white- light gray -green banding in wave structures of partially zwiebelschaligem pattern justifies its geological nonspecific name. As a result, this name also rendered to other, visually similar structured and usually green-tinted rocks.

Examples of materials

• Verde cipollino ( Stouraitikon, Green of Styra )

A marble from Euboea near the town of Styra.

• Cipollino Versilia

A bright green marble with fine dark stripe structure. The place of decomposition is Stazzema in the Apuan Alps.

• Cipollino Apuano

A marble with strong dark green thin strip structure, the change in stock with white Calcitanteilen are an attractive picture. The calcite occurs in some cases nodular. The place of decomposition is Stazzema in the Apuan Alps.

• Grand Antique de Cipolin ( Grand Antique Saillon / Marbre cipolin Saillon )

A marble from the Swiss canton of Valais. The former mining site is located above the town of Saillon. The name suggests a very old application, but this is not the case. Because of the large optical similarity to the ancient marble of Carystus a sales promotion name was chosen by depleting operating in the 19th century. Around 1900, this material was considered as the most expensive natural stone. The very unfavorable mining conditions caused a high price and were also a cause, that the quarry operation came to a halt after the first World War. Later, there were only sporadic reclamation work.

• Cipollino Verde Mandolato

With this designation an exclusive decorative stone from the French Pyrenees in Italy was traded. In France he is known by his native name Campan Vert. The reduction is set for some time. This is not a striped material. The structure is node -like and slightly elongated ( direction structure).

• Verde Luana

Lively banded silicate marble from the Apuan Alps near Vagli di Sopra.

Chance of differently colored natural stones have been associated because of their structural features are similar with the term cipollino.

• Cipollino Dorato

A natural stone with the cipollino Apuano similar structure but without greens. Instead, the bands and veins of strong golden yellow color. The degradation is operated in the Italian region of Cuneo.

• Cipollino S or cipollino Zebra

A natural stone from the Czech Republic, who was temporarily obtain this term in the commercial before 1945. The degradation was carried out in Altvatergebirge in Bad Lindewiese.

• Cipollino Rosso

This decorative stone was recovered in ancient quarries in the Turkish district of Muğla.

• Cipollino Nero

From the time of Roman exploration and quarrying on the Greek island of Evia comes this decorative stone, the isolated finds himself in ancient Roman buildings. Its structure corresponds to that of the Verde cipollino, but he has only black, gray and off-white shades.

Petrography, mineralogical composition

From petropgraphischer view hide behind the term (green ) cipollino two main groups of rocks.

• Ophicalcite
• Nodular

Some Cipollinosorten also be classified as silicate marble.

In both cases, is represented as the main ingredient calcite. The green coloring ingredients differ from species to species and can Serpentinmineralien, diopside, chlorite, amphibole or Fuchsit be. Another accessory mineral component frequently found quartz.

The emergence of greenish bands like structures in limestone with contact metamorphism or Einregelungen foreign minerals and in other cases can also be explained by metasomatic processes. In Cipollinen other coloring are mainly iron compounds (yellow, red) and graphite ( black) determines the hue.

The transition between limestones and metamorphic rocks such as marbles is fluent in the case of Cipolline. Since the term has traditionally been overcome, it can be petrographically not grasp clearly. The use of this term does not follow a uniform definition and was in the use of history in question decoration rocks various influences inferior.