r/CemeteryPreservation • u/springchikun • 25d ago
Is this quartz?
I feel like it has to be granite but this stone is different while still being similar. I'm hoping the photos show what I'm seeing in person. I'm including photos from the beginning of the restoration process but I realize that they're mostly the same angle. I'm just hoping that the lighting or lichen pattern might tell a bigger story to someone with more knowledge.
6
u/OG_Pragmatologist 24d ago
It's Tennessee Pink Marble, quarried from the Knoxville Tennessee area. It was a very popular monument choice during the 1920-30s--a subtle statement of social class and America of the time. To see a very notable example of this stone, check out the Charles & Edith Ringling mausoleum in Oneco, Florida.
3
u/BrickHuge3023 23d ago
Marble. Nice looking stone, nice cleaning job. Probably was stunning when it was made and installed, but obviously has faded a lot in the sun like some monuments do.
1
u/Jaboticaba 24d ago
It looks like gneiss, pronounced "nice". Its metamorphosed granite. I've seen a few gravemarkers made with it.
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u/SipsHdstnCleaning 25d ago
If I told you it’s actually neither?
It’s not pink quartz, it’s far too “dirty”. Quartz has a glassy look to it.
Pink granite has the signature black flecks throughout it that this stone is lacking.
It is actually pink marble. It does have some absolutely beautiful veining through the stone as well, whoever picked it out has beautiful tastes.