Rainforest Marble

["Stacy Shure" <shurefamily@zzzzzzzzzzzzz>]

Hi Dallas:

Yes, it's called Rainforest Marble, and it's found on Vancouver Island.  It
is getting increasingly more hard to obtain since the road that was
available to the quarry area was washed out about 3 years ago after loggers
cleared the surrounding hills.

Randy Zieber of Neolithic Stone in Vancouver, B.C. sometimes carries this
stone.   The pieces usually range from about 40 pounds to about 100.  It's
difficult to get larger pieces until a new road is completed.

The stone is similar to Picasso marble - it has a base color (usually white
or tan), with varying veins of green to purple.  Sometimes the base color
will be a light green.  It is hard and more brittle than Picasso.  Depending
on how weathered the piece is, you also have to check for faults and
occlusions that may split.  Have porous glue available!  Grinding is
probably your best bet, rifflers work well too.  Unless it is a very large
piece I would hesitate to go after it with a pnuematic hammer.  If you do,
dial it down to what you would use on alabaster.

Neolithic stone can be contacted at http://www.neolithicstone.com.  Best of luck
with your carving!

Stacy Shure
Los Angeles, CA
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