Page 24 - Demo

24|December 2020 Danby
Marble
Continued from page 23
In addition to the varieties of colors, the blocks can be cut ei- ther parallel to the grain, or per- pendicular to it, which changes the aesthetic character of the slab.
Mannolini, who is a geologist, notes that the stone is all the same, technically speaking – it’s all mar- ble. But just like a few drops of food coloring will greatly change the look of vanilla frosting, small amounts of phyllosilicate miner- als (in Montclair Danby) or clay minerals (in Imperial Danby) can create an entirely different ap- pearance and mood.
“That’s what makes us one of the more different quarries in the world, is that were able to extract so many different colors from the same mountain,” explains Prvulovic.
Origins of the Marble Belt
You can re-create the geology of western Vermont with this sim- ple demonstration. Place a throw rug on a smooth floor, with one end of it up against a wall. Get a brisk running start, then leap onto the throw rug and surf it across the floor and toward the wall. The rug will fold into an accordion of wrinkles (and you may or may not remain upright).
In this exciting re-enactment, you’d be playing the role of a vol- canic chain of islands, which col- lided into the eastern U.S. about 440 million years ago. The throw rug would represent the pre-ex- isting rocks, which were ma- rine sandstones, limestones and shales. These rocks got caught in a geologic crumple-zone as the collision took formerly flat-lying layers and folded them into long, linear mountain ranges that run roughly north-south up the length of western Vermont. The orig- inal sedimentary rocks became
Slippery rock Gazette
Imperial Danby is extremely popular for countertops.
recrystallized into metamorphic rocks, and the rock was folded in on itself, transforming ribbons of clay and mica into stunning pat- terns within the marble.
Danby marble comes from the Shelburne Formation, a thin band of rock that runs down the length of Vermont and on southward into Massachusetts. Many quar- ries in the region tapped into this same formation, spread out up and down the marble belt.
Mannolini noted that since most of the older quarries have closed, Danby’s importance has grown. “Vermont Danby marble can be used for repairs and restoration of historical marbles of the north- east,” he says.
Growing Demand and Constant Improvement
Despite competition from im- ported stones and engineered stone products, people’s desire for authentic Danby marble is un- wavering. “Our product has been on an upswing for the last ten
years,” says Prvulovic. “We see better and better demand from every side of our country.”
Prvulovic is bullish for the fu- ture of the quarry. “We’re never going to be one of those compa- nies that says ‘yep, we got this, this is where we’re staying.’ It doesn’t work that way in this industry.”
Mannolini and his team keeps watch over the geology of the mountain, overseeing periodic surveys of the rock and plotting future development. “We are not worried about running out of marble,” explains Mannolini. Prvulovic quickly chimes in, “Not in our lifetime anyway!”
Karin Kirk is a geologist and science educator with over 20 years of experience and brings a different perspective to the stone industry. Karin is a regular con- tributor to usenaturalstone.com and the Slippery Rock Gazette. Contact her at karinkirk@gmail. com .
“I am not a product of my circumstances. Iamaproductof my decisions.”
– Stephen Covey
Danby Quarry Marble Colors
Imperial Danby
Royal Danby
Eureka / Calacatta
Danby Grey
Montclair Danby, Vein Cut
Crystal Gray
Vermont Cippolino
Olympean White
Mountain White
Fantastico Danby
Surface polishing slabs, inside the mountain.