Editing Marble (section)

===Sculpture===
White marble has been prized for its use in [[marble sculpture|sculptures]]<ref>{{Cite book|url=https://archive.org/details/bub_gb_7zKJOYkW0GsC|page=[https://archive.org/details/bub_gb_7zKJOYkW0GsC/page/n411 371]|quote=white marble prized for use to make sculptures.|title=PROCEEDINGS 4th International Congress on "Science and Technology for the Safeguard of Cultural Heritage in the Mediterranean Basin" VOL. I|publisher=Angelo Ferrari|isbn=9788896680315|language=en}}</ref> since [[Classical antiquity|classical times]]. This preference has to do with its softness, which made it easier to carve, relative [[isotropy]] and homogeneity, and a relative resistance to shattering. Also, the low [[Refractive index|index of refraction]] of calcite allows light to penetrate 12.7 to 38 millimeters into the stone before being scattered out, resulting in the characteristic waxy look which brings a lifelike luster to marble sculptures of any kind, which is why many sculptors preferred and still prefer marble for sculpting the human form.<ref>"Marble", Britannica Online Encyclopaedia. Britannica.com.; Clarke, Michael, ''The Concise Oxford Dictionary of Art Terms'', p.148, 2001, Oxford University Press, {{ISBN|9780192800435}}</ref>