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Where is marble mined? Places of extraction of natural rock. The influence of the method of extraction on the cost of marble

Translated from Greek, marble means "brilliant, shining stone". It was the ability of marble to transform in the rays of the sun, to show the eye each time a new, unique play of light, that made the ancient Greeks pay attention to this material, build dozens of temples from it, sculpt statues, the gracefulness and plasticity of which causes us admiration hundreds of years later (for whites marbles first signs " age-related changes" appear only after 100-150 years). In addition, marble has a number of other properties that allow it to remain one of the most popular natural building materials: it is plastic, easy to polish and grind. Marble is sufficiently viscous and strong, so it does not immediately split upon impact, allowing you to carve products of various shapes.

Marble - metamorphic rock, consisting mainly of the minerals calcite CaCO3 or dolomite CaMg(CO3)2. It is harder than limestone and dolomite (its source materials), but softer igneous rocks. Marble is very beautiful when cut and polished well, which made it also one of the main facing materials. Marble is a type of limestone, so it can be both soft and able to absorb moisture, and quite hard and almost impervious to water.

Marble has a low water absorption coefficient (0.08-0.12%), due to which it can be used for finishing bathrooms, pools, fountains. It practically does not absorb moisture, therefore, when exposed to low temperatures, it is not threatened by the appearance of microcracks from a freezing liquid. Marble products can be safely used in cold rooms. Also marble is not affected high temperatures, which allows it to be used for the manufacture of fireplaces or used for interior decoration with temperatures that are significantly higher than usual. As a natural material, it has porosity and is able to "breathe" - this creates a favorable microclimate in the room.

Trevi Fountain, Rome (1732-1762)


Until now, the word "marble" is called different breeds, which are similar to each other. Builders call marble any durable limestone that can be polished. Sometimes mistaken for marble similar breed serpentinite. True marble on a light break resembles sugar. Due to impurities, this stone becomes variegated, spotted, moiré, wavy and veined. A layer of pure white marble up to 30 centimeters thick shines through. Marble almost always contains impurities of other minerals, as well as organic compounds. Impurities affect the quality of marble in different ways, reducing or increasing its decorative effect. The color of marble also depends on impurities. Most colored marbles are variegated. whimsical patterns or uniform shade Marble surfaces have been created by nature for thousands of years, each slab has its own unique pattern. Wide choose colors and shades allows you to use it in various interiors in the most different qualities- stairs, columns, pool and portal cladding, furniture elements, framing doorways and windows, souvenirs, etc.


Due to its decorative properties, marble received wide application. Marble can be used to make both large interior elements - stairs, wall panels, columns, as well as smaller, decorative details - countertops, window sills, figurines, vases. By decorative qualities, scope and possible ways processing and marbles are divided into white, gray and colored. white marble too fragile for outdoor work: it can become stained and yellow from weather influences. Gray marbles are easy to process, polish well, and are less susceptible to damage. external environment. Therefore, they are widely used for both external and internal cladding.

Moscow metro station "Kurskaya"

Colored marbles can have the most different colors- from yellow and pink to green or black. It is not uncommon for marble to have veining of a different color, and such marble is considered especially valuable due to its high aesthetic qualities. The pattern is determined not only by the structure of the marble, but also by the direction in which the stone is sawn. The color and pattern of marble appear after it is polished.
Marble has been used since antiquity as a structural and facing architectural material due to its plastic and decorative virtues(hardness; fineness, which makes the marble malleable in processing, capable of receiving polishing, through which the tonal richness of the marble and the beauty of its uniform, spotted or layered structure are revealed). Marble is also used to create mosaic compositions, reliefs and round statues (mainly monochromatic marble, mostly white, less often colored or black).

Where is marble mined?

Marble deposits are scattered all over the world. In ancient times, Greek marble from the quarries of Pantelikon, northeast of Athens, was famous. All classical ancient Greek architectural structures were built from this stone. The special beauty of this marble was given by golden yellow traces of weathering. Now the Greek deposits are completely exhausted. Now the most famous white marble, which is mined near the city of Carrara in Tuscany in northern Italy. The stone lies along the entire slope of the Apuan Alps up to the very crest of the ridge. From the local quarries, marble was taken back in Ancient Rome. Then they were forgotten for a long time and remembered again in the late Middle Ages and in the Renaissance. The deposits of the local pure white stone seem inexhaustible. Milky-white marble is mainly mined here, sometimes with a slight bluish tint. There is also a pure white stone, which is appreciated by sculptors. The great Michelangelo sought for his works especially light stone in development at Monte Altissimo - the highest peak of the ridge.


Marble deposits have been found in different places Russia. Most of all, over 20 deposits are located in the Urals, but stone is mined from only 8 deposits: white marble is obtained at the Koelginskoye and Aidyrlinskoye deposits, gray marble is obtained from the Ufaley and Marble deposits, yellow comes from the Oktyabrsky and Pochinskoye quarries, black marble comes from the Pershinsky deposit, pink-red stone gives the Nizhny Tagil deposit.
One of the most famous Ural deposits is the village of Mramorskoye, northeast of the city of Polevskoy. Sverdlovsk region. The marble deposit has been known here since the 18th century. In 1738, marble mining began, and a settlement arose - the Marble Factory. Back in those distant times, when the first ore explorers were searching for iron ores here, they encountered numerous outcrops of marble in a vast area south of Yekaterinburg. This is evidenced by applications for the discovery of this valuable ornamental stone.

Marble quarry.


The founding of the village dates back to 1738, when large reserves of this valuable ornamental stone were discovered eight versts from the Kosobrodskaya fortress. Gornoshchitskaya marble breaking - this was the name originally given to the future village. A mill for cutting and polishing marble was built in the neighboring Seversky factory. Later, a pier was opened on the Chusovaya River to send polished marble boards to St. Petersburg. Already in the middle of the 18th century. marble stone-cutters, the heroes of many Bazhov tales, who carried this fame to this day, became famous. For two centuries, the plant produced thousands of products: marble vases and bowls, monuments in St. Petersburg, Peterhof and Tsarskoye Selo.

Marble mining.


The modern marble quarry is located 6 km northwest of the plant and the village. Its approach is indicated by multi-ton marble cubes that catch the eye right behind the railway crossing. A visit to the quarry leaves a strong impression. The deep, ledge cut is equipped with modern stone-cutting machines and lifting winches. Marble monoliths are loaded into heavy trucks and transported to the marble factory, to the sawing shop located near the railway station, from where, after sawing and polishing, the marble goes to different corners our country. Metro stations, underground passages, foyers of theaters, hotels and much more in the cities of the country are finished with Ural marble.

Yekaterinburg, railway station.


Another one of the most famous marble deposits is the marble developments of Ruskeala (Karelia) on the Belaya and Zelenaya mountains, named after the color of the marbles that make them up. The very first development of marble began here at the end of the 17th century by the Swedes, mainly for building lime, less often for building foundations and walls of buildings in the vicinity. Industrial extraction of Ruskeala marble began after 1768, and was entrusted in the first, most difficult years, to an experienced mining engineer Kozhin. The main work on the extraction of marble (from 1769 to 1830) was carried out on Mount Belaya. The local marble went mainly to decorate St. Isaac's Cathedral of Rinaldi and Montferrand (1818-1858). Part of this stone was used to make the window frames of the Marble Palace, the facing of the southern facade of the Mikhailovsky Castle, the manufacture of window boards for the Winter Palace, the construction of a pedestal to the monument to Peter I in front of the Mikhailovsky Castle, and other buildings and structures of St. Petersburg.

Marble Palace, St. Petersburg.

Also, marble from Mount Belaya was used in the construction of: the Oryol Gate (1772 by A. Rinaldi), the frieze of the Catherine Palace (1782-1785 by Camefon), etc. early XIX century, when the Ruskeala marble quarries were under the jurisdiction of the "Commission for the Construction of the Kazan Cathedral", a quarry began to operate on Zelenaya Gora, located not far from Belaya Mountain. It is known that more than 200 thousand tons of marble were mined in the “main marble quarry” of Ruskeala (1769 to 1830). Most of this stone was sent to St. Petersburg, Tsarskoye Selo and Gatchina, while the smaller part, in the form of rounds and crushed stone, was stored in dumps. It is noteworthy that the underground workings of Ruskeala took place practically without fixing vaults and walls, which was explained by low fracturing and resistance of rocks to collapse. Now marble is not mined in Ruskeala, now excursions for tourists are held in this quarry.

Marble developments of Ruskeala (Karelia)

Marble is also mined in other regions of Russia. More than 50 marble deposits are known in Altai and Western Siberia, but three deposits are being developed here: the Pushtulimskoye deposit produces a unique fine-grained white marble with red-green veins, lilac-pink stone is obtained at the Gramatushinskoye deposit, and gray-cream marble is produced by the Petenevsky quarry. In the Krasnoyarsk Territory there is a large Kibik-Kordonskoye deposit, where there are more than twenty varieties of white, soft cream, pale pink, orange, yellow and greenish-gray marble.


The Burovshchina deposit in Irkutsk region gives a reddish-pink coarse-grained stone with lilac, orange, green, shades of gray. The Moscow metro stations "Marksistskaya", "Tretyakovskaya" and others are decorated with this marble. In the Far East in Lately explored and prepared for extraction a deposit of green marble with different shades. In the Leningrad region, at the Elizovsky deposit, a gray-brown stone is mined, reminiscent of the famous American granite "dacotamahogany". Today, marble is widely used in everyday human activities. Buildings and structures created using stone for a long period (centuries and millennia) retain their strength and decorative properties. Thus, a habitat is created, architecture is formed, which serves as one of the main criteria for the level of culture of a nation, civilization and all mankind.

Moscow subway.


The practical significance of marble mining in the industry is evidenced by the following comparison: the turnover of the marble industry is more than 2.5 times higher than the turnover of the diamond mining industry. Both diamond and marble are traditionally used for the manufacture of luxury goods and, accordingly, are targeted at a specific market segment. In many countries (Italy, Spain, China, India, etc.) this industry is an essential part of the national economy, as evidenced by the volume of sales and the share of stone in the export-import balance. Russia has great potential for the development of its stone mining and stone processing industry, but there are a lot of problems in this industry. After the collapse of the USSR, deposits of highly decorative varieties of marble remained in Ukraine and Uzbekistan, and today Russia can only produce ordinary blocks colors, which on the international market have a price that does not cover the costs of producers. There are interesting marble deposits in the Irkutsk region, in South Yakutia and on the Kola Peninsula, but there are simply no roads to these deposits.


If we add up the costs of their construction with the cost of mining and processing, then the price of the extracted marble is so high that no one will simply buy it, it is easier to buy and bring it from Greece or Turkey. The lack of roads to less remote deposits also means that buying ready-made slabs abroad and bringing them to Russia is cheaper than unprocessed blocks from these deposits. It is also important that manufacturers of stone mining equipment and major suppliers synthetic diamonds for stone processing also ended up outside of Russia, and high customs duties made the products of domestic enterprises using these components uncompetitive.

It was known to people back in the days of Ancient Greece, that is, in the third millennium BC. Then it was very popular as a building and decorative material. Deposits of marble today number in the hundreds throughout Greece. The ancient Romans adopted the tradition of the widespread use of this stone in construction from the Greeks, and from Rome it spread throughout Europe and beyond. Of course, the method of extracting marble in those days was completely different, much more difficult and requiring a large number human resources.

Development of the breed in ancient times

It used to be much less known to man places where there was marble and its extraction was carried out. In particular, there was a deposit in Greece near Athens, and also on the islands of Prokonnes, Paros and Lesbos.

This breed is quite simple in, it can be easily sawed and drilled, and it is this (and not only aesthetic qualities) it attracted the ancient Romans and Greeks. But the extraction of marble, of course, was much more difficult than today - after all, then there were no explosives, no laser, no modern mining machines. The stone was simply cut or cut down by hand. Most often - chisels. Moreover, for example, the columns were cut already round - for ease of further processing. They moved the cut pieces inside several wooden wheels, where the blocks were inserted like an axle.

It is amazing how amazing buildings and marble sculptures were created, given that the most simple tools: hammers, toothless saws, picks. And yet, this stone is to this day a symbol of antiquity.

Modernity: how marble is mined today

Today, humanity has a much larger number of tools and technologies that allow you to quickly and with minimal effort to get full-fledged pieces of marble rock. More recently, explosives have been widely used for this. Now this method has been practically abandoned due to its danger to workers and the fact that a huge percentage of the stone becomes unsuitable for processing, that is, it is simply rejected.

However, even now each option for the development of deposits has its pros and cons.

So, by what methods is marble mined in our time:

  1. Metal cable. This technology comes from the 19th century. Then a spiral thread was used for this, which worked in conjunction with water and sand. At the same time, she cut the rock quite easily, leaving the very minimum of waste. Now for these purposes, a diamond-coated steel cable is used, and it is part of giant mining machines. Development begins with drilling, and only then the cables are connected. In our country, this technique is most common in the Urals.
  2. Hole method with hydrocline. Reception using hydraulic pressure, which is injected into holes drilled specifically for this purpose - boreholes. As a result, the breed splits. Properly placed holes and a carefully planned hydrocline allow you to fairly accurately predict the place where the stone will crack. In the same way, air can be forced into the holes or explosives can be placed.
  3. Stone cutting machine. It is used for a fairly accurate production of marble, which will be used as a building and facing material. Waste is minimized, and blocks are obtained in the correct form.
  4. manual method. Yes, it is still used to this day - in order to obtain slabs of very soft, thin-layered marble. The extraction technology is very similar to the old one. The use of machines is excluded, as the rock can crumble a lot. The largest slabs of these types of stone reach dimensions of only 60x60 cm, but they are distinguished by unsurpassed beauty, and therefore are highly valued, recouping the development costs.

Geography

To date it is known great amount deposits of marble in Russia and abroad. If we talk about our country, then the mined stone is estimated at hundreds of thousands of tons annually. It is mainly used in construction and interior decoration. Also marble goes to decorative elements, including sculptures. Both solid blocks and marble chips are used.

The most famous and important deposit in Russia is located in the Urals. More precisely, there are many of them - more than twenty, but the most famous are Koelginskoye, Oktyabrskoye and Pershinsky. Very beautiful marble is mined from Karelian quarries, it has characteristic pale pink veins. There is also a lot of this breed in Siberia and Altai, but today only the Pushtulimskoye deposit is being developed, as well as Petenevskoye and Gramatushinskoye.

Where is marble mined abroad? The most valuable Italian, which is mined in Carrara. Until now, the Pandelikon and Paros deposits, known since the time of the ancient Greeks, have not been exhausted.

There is this stone in Central Asia, for example, in Uzbekistan there is a very large deposit. In the USA, it is mined in the Appalachians. There are large reserves in Africa - in the north and east.

Despite the fact that marble is used in many industries, not only in construction, but even, for example, in agriculture, its resource will not be exhausted for many more centuries - in particular, because it is a very durable material. Some buildings from it, built before our era, have survived to this day.

mined noble stone became in ancient times. In ancient times, people began to use it widely, in construction, decoration and the manufacture of dishes. The majestic ancient Greek buildings, jugs, statues and much more, which have been well preserved to this day, are proof of this.

Appreciated positive properties minerals, and modern people, and there is nothing surprising in this, because besides the fact that the stone is incredibly beautiful, it is also a strong and environmentally friendly material.

Another good quality marble is that it is practically not subject to temperature changes.

What is marble?

Marble is a crystalline rock composed of fine grains of calcite and other minerals. Depending on the impurity, it has a different color:

The pattern of a stone depends not only on natural factors, but also on the direction in which it is cut. Interesting feature marble, this is what its color and pattern is visible only after the stone will undergo the procedure grinding.

In nature, there are incredibly many varieties of marble, they are distinguished by various criteria, ranging from color, density, and ending with the place of birth:

  • According to grain density, marble is divided into 3 types, these are:

    • coarse-grained;
    • medium-grained;
    • fine-grained.

  • By color:

    • White;
    • color.
  • By place of birth- a conditional difference, since this factor does not affect the quality and color.

The stone occupies position 3 in the hardness scale, fine-grained marble is stronger and therefore occupies position 2. If we talk about moisture absorption, then the stone in its structure can be soft, which means absorbing, or hard, non-absorbing.

As mentioned above, natural stone is practically not subject to temperature changes, it withstands high and low temperatures. However, despite all the positive properties listed, it still has one significant drawback - any, even food acids, act destructively on it.

Field and production

Where is it mined? Marble deposits are discovered all over the world. In Russia, one of the largest is the Koelginsky quarry in the Urals. All production processes at this deposit are fully mechanized. The Urals has more than 20 deposits, today only 8 of them are being worked on:


The Altai Territory is also rich in this mineral, there are more than fifty deposits on it. Today, only 3 of them are being mined for marble:

  1. Pushtulimskoye deposit - fine-grained stone is mined white color with red and green veins.
  2. Gramatushensky deposit - lilac-pink marble is mined.
  3. Petenevsky deposits - creamy gray marble.

The Kibik-Kordonskoye field was discovered in the Krasnoyarsk Territory. More than 20 varieties of white stone are mined here. This universal stone is also mined in Baikal, Khakassia, Siberia, and the Irkutsk region.

Karelia is also rich in minerals. Initially, it was Karelian marble that was used in Russia, it is famous for its delicate sandy tint, with thin pink veins. Those who want to make sure that the marble quarried in Karelia is really extraordinarily beautiful can take a look at the monument to Nicholas I, which was erected in St. Petersburg.

Abroad, Italian, French, Norwegian, Kuban marble deposits are very famous.

How is marble mined? Most often, the whole process of stone extraction takes place in quarries, much less often in mines. For mining and refining, special equipment is used.

For the extraction of marble use:


For processing use:

  • sawing machines;
  • polishing machines.

In order for the stone to acquire its gloss and brilliance, the following processing technologies are used:

  1. Thermal. IN this case the stone is either subjected to strong pressure or heat.
  2. Mechanical. This method processing means by itself, sawing, grinding, polishing, with special machines.

Where is marble used?

Even in ancient times, people began to use the extracted marble as a building and decorating material, and all thanks to its suppleness and beauty.

Ancient people built ritual buildings from stone, decorated temples, stairs, erected columns. It was also used in art, in confirmation of this, the sculpture of Michelangelo, which has survived to this day, as well as the sculptures of Rodin.

The stone is so versatile that it allows mankind to use it in different directions.

Today it is used during construction, in landscape design, decoration, art and much more in the form of:

  • boards;
  • building blocks;
  • crumbs and sand;
  • hammer and piece;

Despite the fact that there are quite a lot of deposits of stone on earth, it still continues to symbolize luxury and wealth. Floors are made of marble in the bathroom, in the hospital, and in the laboratory. Marble floor is not only luxury and display good taste but also practicality.

First of all, it is easy to clean, and secondly, it is a natural antiseptic. one square meter such a floor will cost $ 45. IN expensive houses more and more often you can find a marble staircase. The cheapest ladder will cost about $ 140 per 1 linear meter.

It is also used for the manufacture of kitchen worktops and window sills. Product size 120 by 60 made of natural stone will cost approximately $40. It is also very often used to make tombstones. A simple monument without frills will cost $170.

Due to the fact that it is heat resistant, it is often used in the construction of fireplaces. For example, a fireplace made in European style, will cost about $ 1140.

In general, the list of products and applications of marble can be listed indefinitely, these are bowls for pools, vases, garden decor, various jugs, columns, washbasins, buildings and much more.

"Shining stone" - this is how the ancient Greeks called it, glorifying the hardness and beauty of the mineral. There are several hundred types of rock in the world, differing in color, grain size, density and other properties - and all of them are really just magnificent.

The place of origin of the stone is considered Ancient Greece. Rather, it was there that for the first time two of its famous varieties began to be used: Parian and Pentelian. Today, the most popular variety is - it is not cheap, but it is distinguished by its special beauty and the highest quality.

We will tell you about the largest and most popular deposits, the most interesting varieties, their application, advantages and disadvantages. And, of course, we will show how those Russian and foreign types of stone look, which are most often used in building exterior decoration and interior work.

Marble deposits in Russia and abroad

There are 20 deposits in the Urals, but at the moment the stone is mined only in eight of them:

  1. IN Chelyabinsk region the largest in Russia and one of the largest in the world field - Koelginskoye. The real one - namely this one is presented in our assortment - has two important properties thanks to which it is valued: spectacular translucency and ease of processing. Color - from pure white to pale blue.
  2. Gray - on the Ufaley and Marble deposits.
  3. Yellow is mined at the Oktyabrsky and Pochinsky quarries.
  4. The origin of black marble is mainly from the Pershinsky deposit.
  5. Pinkish-red is mined in the Nizhny Tagil deposit.
  6. Altai and Western Siberia are more than 50 deposits, but only three are being developed so far. At the Pushtulimskoye field, an unsurpassed fine-grained white variety with red-green veins is obtained.

As for other countries, besides Italy and Greece, the stone High Quality Spain supplies to the international market. Of the Spanish varieties, it is especially popular: from year to year we note an increase in demand for this stone among our customers. It is very beautiful and very durable.

There are rock deposits in Central Asia, for example, large deposits are located in Uzbekistan. In America, it's the Appalachians. Huge reserves are found in North and East Africa.

Marble extraction methods

During the mining process, it is important to observe the main condition - to prevent the appearance of cracks in the massif and to maintain the integrity of the stone structure.

Therefore, today the blocks are separated mainly by non-explosive methods:

  1. With the help of rope stone-cutting machines. During operation, the diamond-coated cable separates the block with reciprocating movements. The method allows to extract marble blocks of large size.
  2. Circular saws allow you to extract blocks of small and medium size (the size is determined by the diameter of the disk).
  3. Buroklinovy ​​method and the method of "quiet explosion" are also used. The essence of both approaches is to use perforators for line drilling of wells in a rock mass. Then air or liquid is pumped into the wells - they put pressure on the rock and split it along the marked lines. methods do not require special costs, but the quality of the mined blocks is lower.

In conclusion, we note where and how marble is mined in Russia depends on the characteristics of the deposits. For example, in Karelia, a blast-hole method with a hydrowedge is used, and in the Urals, stone-cutting bar machines are used.

Ecology of knowledge. Cognitively: It seems to be a common thing, a quarry for the extraction of raw materials. But it is these careers that sometimes look like the old ones. computer games with pseudo 3D.

It seems to be a common thing, a quarry for the extraction of raw materials. But it is these careers that sometimes look like old computer games with pseudo 3D. Personally, I immediately had such an association.


Here are a few more interesting views similar quarries.

Until now, the word `marble` refers to different breeds that are similar to each other. Builders call marble any durable limestone that can be polished. Sometimes a similar breed of serpentinite is mistaken for marble. True marble on a light break resembles sugar. Due to impurities, this stone becomes variegated, spotted, moiré, wavy and veined. A layer of pure white marble up to 30 centimeters thick shines through. Marble deposits are found in different places in Russia.

Most of all, over 20 deposits are located in the Urals, but stone is mined from only 8 deposits. White marble is obtained at the Koelginsky and Aidyrlinsky deposits, gray - from the Ufaley and Marble deposits, yellow comes from the Oktyabrsky and Pochinsky quarries, black marble comes from the Pershinsky deposit, pink-red stone comes from the Nizhny Tagil deposit. In Altai and Western Siberia, more than 50 , three deposits are being developed here. The Pushtulim deposit gives a unique fine-grained white marble with red-green veins.

In the north-west of Russia, in the Republic of Karelia, the Leningrad Region and on the Kola Peninsula, red and pink granites are produced by the Vinga, Ukkomyaki and Shalskoye deposits. The yellow-pink stone is given by Mustavaar.

The most famous is the Shokshinskoye deposit. His stone was used in the construction of Napoleon's sarcophagus in Paris, the monument to Nicholas I in St. Petersburg, the tomb of the Unknown Soldier in Moscow. The gray-pink and red granite of the Kuzrechenskoye deposit in the Murmansk region has won the recognition of architects and builders. Local stone is bought in Western Europe and Japan.

The marbles of Italy are the most famous. The famous white sculptural marble is mined near Carrara in Tuscany. For centuries, Carrara marble has been considered extraordinary. natural material, perhaps one of the wonders of the world - because it is able to transmit light to a depth of 4 cm! It was with him that Michelangelo worked. White, shiny, easy to polish, this stone is still used today for the most complex and exquisite work in sculpture and architecture.

Parian yellowish marble, mined in Greece, also enjoys well-deserved fame. This stone served as material for the ancient Greek sculptors, whose work we still admire today.

In the USA, significant strata of marble occur in the eastern part of the country - in the Appalachians and other areas. Marble is also mined in North Africa. Large deposit dolomitic marble is located in Natal (South Africa).

There are also deposits of marble in Cuba, France, Norway and other countries.

Large deposits of marble are found in Armenia and Georgia. In Armenia, the Ijevan, Aghveran, Khorvirab deposits of brown, pink and black marble are being developed; in Georgia - Lopotskoe, Molitskoe, Salieti deposits of gray, gray-red and red marble.

The republics of Central Asia are especially rich in marble deposits. In Uzbekistan, cream and pink marbles of the Gazganskoye, gray, dark gray and pinkish marbles of the Aman-Kutan deposits are known. And the white fine-grained sculptural marble of the Malguzar deposit in Uzbekistan, according to experts, even surpasses the famous Carrara marble.