Marble slabs

What is the difference between etching and staining on marble?

An etch is damage to the surface: acid, such as lemon juice, wine, or vinegar, dissolves the calcite and leaves a dull mark. A stain is something soaking into the stone and darkening it. Sealing helps against stains and does nothing against etching, so wipe up acids quickly. A honed finish shows etching less than a polished one.

Source: Natural Stone Institute, How to Be Your Own Stone Sleuth (2020)

What is bookmatching?

Two slabs cut one after the other from the same block and opened like the pages of a book, so the veining mirrors across the seam. It needs consecutive slabs from one bundle, so choose them together and ask for them to be held together.

Where does marble work best?

Where it is seen more than it is worked on: bathroom vanities, walls, fireplace surrounds, and islands in a kitchen used with care. Marble is mostly calcite, which rates 3 on the Mohs hardness scale, so it scratches and etches, and over time it wears to a soft patina.

Source: Mineralogical Society of America, Mohs Scale of Hardness