A MARTINCOONEY.COM SPECIAL FEATURE

MORE OF A CHANNEL THAN A POST

Hello and welcome to a martincooney.com special presentation, one that you will want to pin somewhere if watching quality marble quarry videos, without the hassle of searching for them, appeals to your idea of a good time. For I have dutifully waded through a trove of marble related videos so that you don’t have to. I really have no idea just how many I watched in all honesty, but these 40, as listed below, undoubtedly constitute the best – the cream of the crop.

And so settle down with your favorite beverage, scroll down and click on whatever peeks at your interest. They are all good in one way or another, or they wouldn’t be here. I have added my own two cents worth after each video just for good measure, but first take a look at the menu below, take a look at what is on offer, then sit back, scroll down, relax and enjoy the show.

Another not so obvious reason for going to great length to assemble this list is that I myself of course am delighted to have all of these excellent videos right here in one place – instead of having to go searching all over the internet for them… something you should perhaps consider yourself by saving this file in some convenient place or another, if you ever want to lay easy access to them in the near and distant future. Anyway, I hope you have as much fun watching these hugely entertaining videos as much as I did assembling them. Enjoy.

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MC.COM 40 BEST YOUTUBE MARBLE QUARRY VIDEO MENU

Please browse the selection below, then watch the videos as they present themselves in numerical order.

1. Swim in a luxurious quarry-turned-pool. CNN Business. Published on Oct 3, 2013 “A beautiful 50-acre estate in the heart of the Berkshires has one unique feature: a luxurious, heated, self-cleaning pool that was converted from an old limestone rock quarry.”

2. Shanghai’s Underwater Quarry Hotel. The B1M. Published on Oct 10, 2018 “Extending 90 metres down into an abandoned quarry, the InterContinental Shanghai Wonderland is a structure like no other.”

3. Al Ajmi Marble LLC. Published on Mar 4, 2019. “Al Ajmi Marble LLC World class beige marble from Oman

4. Faruk GÜLEÇ. Published on Jun 19, 2012. “Işık Madencilik White Gold Marble Quarry Promotion Video”

5. Nitco Ltd. Published on Feb 10, 2018 “World class Natural Marble processing facility. Best quality Italian Marble in India.”

6. ltdtaia. Published on Feb 14, 2013 “The belt of white marble that runs beneath this central Alabama city once yielded gleaming columns, panels and other architectural elements found in monuments, government buildings, hotels and banks across the nation.”

7. Bao Lai Group. Van Khoa – Bao Lai Marble. Published on Sep 21, 2017. “specialized in exploiting, cutting and processing Vietnam white marble in serve for construction demands worldwide. We own some of the most resourceful quarries that produce best high-quality white marble in Yen Bai, Vietnam.”

8. Norwegian Rose Marble Quarry. Torvald Bie. Published on Jul 13, 2019. “Selected for its unique aesthetic and origins from Norway, the Norwegian Rose has a classic soft pink tone with white and grey variations throughout and randomized green veins.”

9. Carrara Marble Quarry. 360 VR 3D. GmbH. Published on Jan 10, 2019. “Take a flight in VR at 360 ° in one of the most fascinating marble quarries in the Alps.”

10. Carrara Marble Quarry. Drone Footage. John Hawkins. Published on Jul 21, 2018.”Video of the quarry works in Carrara, Italy. Carrara is visible in the distance.”

11. Tatlock Quarry. Zbip57. Published on Oct 5, 2016. “Fall Colours, including white. This is the famous (or some would say infamous) Tatlock marble quarry owned by giant Swiss mineral company OMYA. It produces calcium carbonate derived from natural marble (or limestone) rock formation. This is the crumbly rock that OMYA is gradually stripping away for use as filler in things like paint, plastics, paper and toothpaste.”

12. Georgia Marble Quarry. Polycor. Published on Jan 18, 2016. “Discover Polycor’s Georgia Marble Quarry”. Wikipedia: The company’s mines contain some of the best quality marble, and almost every type of marble found in the USA. The marble, when exposed to the weather tends to become less durable from acid rain. Types of marble include crystallized marble, and white sanctuary marble ranging in a variety of colors”

13. KyKnos Quarry. Kostasios. Published on Oct 3, 2014. “LAZARIDIS MARMOR S.A. OWNER OF KYKNOS QUARRY WHICH IS LOCATED CLOSE TO DRAMA CITY, NORTH OF GREECE.”

14. Hitachi Construction. Published on Jul 10, 2015. “Between 2,000 and 4,000m3 of marble are quarried each year by Lasa Marmo. The main function of the new ZW550-5 is to lift each marble block to an outdoor storage area. Operator Roland Spechtenhausen says: “This machine does exactly what you want it to do, even to the nearest centimeter. It is really amazing, especially with its stability and lifting capacity.””

15. Thassos Marble. Aerial view photography. Published on Jul 23, 2014 “Thassos Marble D.N. Haritopoulos S.A.. From our quarry we produce marble blocks, off-cuts and aggregates. We use modern technology and techniques to extract the marble.”

16. Amazing excavators at work. Mega Machines Channel. Published on Jun 13, 2019. “Trucks-dumpers, wheel loaders, bulldozers in action, heavy transportations, cat – caterpillar, Komatsu, Liebherr, Volvo, Hitachi, crushers and attachments working and digging in mud and mines for coal and quarries. Ready to travel all over the world and make videos.

17. Nasar Stone Group. Laith Qumsiyeh. Published on Sep 20, 2014. “An international brand and a leader in the manufacturing and sale of natural stone and marble products, Nassar Stone Group’s annual production exceeds 2 million m2 of finished slabs and cut to size tiles from Palestine, Jordan and Oman in a variety of textures and colors to suit every taste and need.”

18. Incredible Carrara Quarry Drone Video. Artistic Tile. Published on Nov 3, 2015. “Our Vice President recently returned from Italy, where he hunted down the finest Calacatta Gold, Bianco Carrara and Statuary marbles. While visiting the Carrara quarries, he deployed his drone to shoot this incredible video high above famous marble mountains. Simply Breathtaking!”

19. Iraivan Temple Quarry. Kauai’s Hindu Monastery. Published on Sep 3, 2012. “Views of the quarry near Bangalore in August 2012 where stones are being extracted for the Iraivan Temple’s second-Prakaram wall.”

20. LevantinaTV. Crema Marfil Coto Quarry located Pinoso (Alicante, Spain). Published on Apr 14, 2014. “Levantina has a selection of exclusive marbles, the majority of which are extracted from its own quarries, like  which is the largest one. Marrón Emperador is another very popular marble, as are the different varieties of Spanish limestones and sandstones, like, Niwala Yellow, Niwala White or Capri, which are other varieties of stone which are highly valued in the international market.”

21. World’s Largest Marble Quarry. LevantinaTV. Published on Mar 23, 2018. “Impressive video about how is the day to day work in the world’s largest marble quarry.”

22. Amazing excavators at work. Mega Machines Channel. Published on Jul 31, 2019. “Trucks-dumpers, wheel loaders, bulldozers in action, heavy transportations, cat – caterpillar, Komatsu, Liebherr, Volvo, Hitachi, crushers and attachments working and digging in mud and mines for coal and quarries. Ready to travel all over the world and make videos.”

23. Colorado Yule Marble Quarry. Aspen 82. Published on Jun 1, 2016. “To us interesting content comes from the unknown. In Marble, CO there is a stone quarry that has unearthed marble that has graced the Lincoln Memorial, the Tomb of the Unknowns, the Equitable Building (among other skyscrapers in NYC), and so much more. In spite of significant transportation costs, this high-quality stone is now exported in large quantities to Europe and Asia for transformation and use throughout the world, as well as being sold into the US market.”

24. Volvo Construction Equipment. Published on Aug 31, 2016. “United States: Dormant marble quarries are revived to feed international demand”.

25. Michelin Construction & Mine. Published on Oct 24, 2018. “Plato Mermer uses Michelin ADT tires for high hour performance, traction and robustness. In addition to safety usage provided with excellent damage resistance, MICHELIN XTRA DEFEND E4 ADT tires last up to 7000 hours in marble quarry working conditions thanks to higher tread depth.”

26. Teknomer. Turkey. Serkan. ŞENEL. Published on Oct 2, 2017. “Teknomer is one of the leading travertine & marble manufacturers and quarry owners company in Turkey.”

27. Vigaria Marble Quarry. Herdade da Vigaria. Portugal. Published on Nov 4, 2017. “Corporate Video of the exclusive marble quarry of Vigaria – Solubema Company.”

28. How Diamond Wire Cutters Are Made. Optima Diamond Tools Pvt. Ltd. Published on Jul 25, 2017.

29. Liebherr Hydralic Crawler Excavators Operate in Unison. Published on Sep 19, 2018. “The Liebherr R 9150 and R 980 SME hydraulic crawler excavators operate together in the majestic Carrara Marble Quarry in northern Italy.”

30. Alcas Marble, Texas. Published on Nov 27, 2017. “Alcas Marble Company showcases the mining process of marble dust. From mining raw materials in the quarry to processing, packaging, and distribution of marble dust. For the use of marble dust in the process of re-plastering pools in Central Texas.”

31. Australian Marble Quarry. JAYA NEGARA. Published on Nov 12, 2017. “Australia White Marble Quarry – Queensland Granite & Marble (QLDGM).”

32. Prosotsani, Drama, Greece. FHL Group. Published on May 9, 2016. “This is a documentary for F.H.L. Manufacturing & Trading CO. I Kiriakidis Marbles and Granites S.A, a marble processing and trading plant in the industrial Park of Prosotsani – Drama, Greece.”

33. Best Prices Possible. Marble.com. Published on Mar 17, 2015. “At Marble.com, our stone comes from the best quarries located around the world. Since we partner with these quarries directly, our customers are sure to get the best prices possible. After the slabs are cut, they are polished to enhance the natural beauty of the stone, as they begin to close resemble the finished product.”

34. nitricfilms. R.K. Marble. Published on Jan 5, 2015.

35. Carrara Quarry Drone Air View. Published on Oct 12, 2016. “Carrara Quarries, The pearls of white.”

36. Underground – Mega Machines Channel. Published on Jun 12, 2016. “Marble Cutters Underground Cutting Machines – Marble Quarries.”

37. 2,000 Years of Quarrying Tradition. Walker Zanger. Published on Jan 16, 2013. “You can see Calcatta, Carrara and Statuary White Marble from Italy featured in almost every design magazine or website these days. The crisp white background and grey, beige or gold veins of these stones are a perfect anchor for so many design schemes that their popularity seems destined to be with us for some time to come. Over 2,000 years of quarrying tradition goes into every slab and tile that comes from these stunning mountain ranges along the coast of Tuscany.”

38. Marbleland: Marble quarrying in Rajasthan, India. Kuntala Lahiri-Dutt. Published on Jan 1, 2017.  “India is a leading producer and exporter of marble (and also granite) – used as dimension stone in the booming construction industry. It is also used for a range of other decorative purposes. In this marble rush, health and safety along with environmental considerations take a back seat. This video provides a glimpse into the marbelised Aravalli ranges.”

39. Georgia Marble Quarry, 1955. industryfilmarchive. Published on Nov 10, 2013. “A visit to a marble quarry in Georgia in the mid 1950s.”

40. Precious marble in record demand for modern construction. PBS NewsHour. Published on Jul 29, 2018. “The Pantheon temple in Rome glistens with precious, white marble from Italy’s town of Carrara, a stone that was prized by the ancient Romans and Renaissance masters. Now, extraction rates of 5,000 tons per year for a modern building bonanza is cutting into the city’s scenic backdrop.”

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1

“A beautiful 50-acre estate in the heart of the Berkshires has one unique feature: a luxurious, heated, self-cleaning pool that was converted from an old limestone rock quarry.”

“It’s a great house, but I bought it simply because of the quarry. It’s a modest home, about 3,500 feet, but it’s a very valuable property. I bought it simply because of the quarry. We have no intentions of ever selling it, hopefully it will be passed on from generation to generation”. And I think that this is a good place to start when assessing the whole Quarry debate – for what have you at the end of it all than a very desirable property unpolluted by the heavy metals of mineral mining, and seemingly perfectly sculpted to boot?

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2

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3

Impressive Arial photography, and an impressively organized quarry – the stone looks pretty amazing too, as none of it breaks as it is skillfully rolled into the horizontal position. The music is pretty cool too. A small quarry – I can see many similarities with Colorado Yule, but man, do they have a lot of cut blocks stacked and ready to go, or what? Nicely run little quarry though,, by the look of things, I would say they definitely know what they are about.

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4

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5

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6

Published on Feb 14, 2013

“The belt of white marble that runs beneath this central Alabama city once yielded gleaming columns, panels and other architectural elements found in monuments, government buildings, hotels and banks across the nation.”

Five rather flashy videos into our class of 40 YouTube short marble films we come down to earth with rather a bump as a team of quarriers gently coax a single giant wire cut slab over on it’s side. Home spun movie quality it may be, but it shows a very well executed topple whereby despite its enormity the block merely broke into two. Woohoo indeed. That’s the way to do it.

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7

No narration with this beautifully shot brief 2 minute video. I must say though that while I am sure those stacked blocks are as fine as can be – just look at what the quarrymen have to deal with. Percentage waste to block ratio? Well, just look at that rubble scattered all over the place. Clearly these people have their work cut out. And such perilous mountain terrain for good measure. Finally, as we get to see the actual slabs themselves the marble appears very white and consistent. Their facility looks well integrated with its surrounds too. I’d say remember the name, but for some reason Vietnam’s best high-quality white marble goes by not one but two names; Van Khoa – Bao Lai.

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8

Published on Jul 13, 2019

“Selected for its unique aesthetic and origins from Norway, the Norwegian Rose has a classic soft pink tone with white and grey variations throughout and randomised green veins. Admired for its striking aesthetics, Norwegian Rose marble is an ideal choice as a decorative emphasis to any project, as well as applications to floors, walls, bathrooms and vanities.”

Without feeling the necessity to make a Monty Pythonesque joke about Norwegian Blue parrots, I must say that I have never heard of Norwegian Rose Marble, and so this 4 minute slow and reflective video paints something of a compelling picture as we glide seamlessly over miles of Norwegian Wood towards the gleaming quarries or’ yonder. I would say that it is the old Moonlight sonata drifting out of the grand piano, but I am never sure on these things, but the lone rambling solo sure sets a severe, dare I say “NORWEGIAN” tone to proceedings. Beautifully shot, edited and composed though, and so kudos in that regard. Apart from a slight obsession with trees, when the camera finally zooms in on the quarry operation we find (of course, what else did you expect?) a most exemplary commercial quarrying operation in full swing.

From the look of things it would seem that this huge shelf of marble was just sitting there on the surface ready to be sliced up and quarried thanks to some unimaginably huge glacier scraping away whatever previously engulfed and metamorphosised it from limestone into marble many millions of years ago. But by whatever method attained these quarriers certainly lucked out with this cozy arrangement, that’s for sure. (Yep, right at the end there, Moonlight Sonata, what did I tell you?)

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9

And now for something completely different! Let’s go deep, deep underground shall we? Oh, and blast out some gutsy heavy metal rock while we’re at it! This should be good. WOW, I can’t help imagining just what these massive hollowed out marble lined caves will be some day. Perhaps vast wine vaults, or cheese caves, or housing, hotels, who knows?

BLOODY HELL if they don’t winch their blocks down the mountain on chairlift. How unbelievably cool are these people? All other quarries around the world please note: this is how to do it – and this is really how it should be done.

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10

Just two minutes in length this short, single point of view sweeping panorama lays open the vast Carrara marble quarry complex above the city of Carrara in spectacular fashion. I mean, no one can disagree that the result of 2,000 years of extensive marble quarrying has left behind a downright eerie, almost spooky landscape, but the question on everyone’s lips at this point is; ‘just what are we going to do about it”, because everyone seems to have an opinion on the matter, to the point that some people are absolutely aghast by such scenes. But what do you think? I think that this short sweet little video asks that question quite succinctly. Personally, my thought is just what amazing marble apartments these huge wide marble terraces would make once their marble production sank below modern waste to block ratio standards – and what a view. Cool on the inside and waay coool throughout would be my thought on the subject.

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11

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12

“The company’s mines contain some of the best quality marble, and almost every type of marble found in the USA. The marble, when exposed to the weather tends to become less durable from acid rain. The mine is plentiful and every variety with every size is extractable with machinery,^[9] and transported by railroad.^[2] Types of marble include crystallized marble, and white sanctuary marble ranging in a variety of colors” Wikipedia.

No, this isn’t a whiskey commercial, although similarities surely abound. Short and sweet at just a minute and a half the booming voice over narration leaves us under no doubt that their Georgia Marble Company roots run as deep as the marble veins throughout this picturesque small town community.”Work hard, respect your roots by preserving the masterpieces of the past, find inspiration in the beauty and power of nature”, this is all good stuff. “The pillar of marble in America”. This add, I would say, has all the right stuff.

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13

Now, that’s what I call a dramatic entrance. And what a quarry – absolutely huge. But, what about that marble, looks a tad rough to me. Such wild variations in color, texture and even composition by the looks of it. Just how much of that sandy mud hue is stone and how much is actually mud is a little bid difficult to discern, but it sure looks like a muddy place, with much fracturing in the various stones, that’s for sure. And boy, those are some narrow ledges. Nerves of steel those drivers must have. But I must say that, once we get to the action dimension stone, it looks very good indeed. Still, what a picture of mangled mountain this creates. Hats off to the quarriers, for they sure have their work cut out, so remember these scenes the next time marble counter tops pop into your mind. Quarries vary as wildly as the markings woven into the fabric of the stone. And finally – that was a good topple at the end. Clean as a whistle it simply rolled over as one giant slab – testament to the unquestionable qualities of both man and stone.

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14

Here’s one for the gear heads as the spotlight falls upon the monster machines that make all this 21 Century marble quarrying possible – or at least Hitachi’s versions. But just look at ’em go! One minute and thirty seconds.

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15

Going down into a massive hole in the ground we descend into a veritable pit of marble several stories deep. Once we arrive on the main cutting floor we are treated to some nice clear shots of quarrymen at work, with many a close up on the tools and equipment in use. And, I must say, the marble does look pretty fine as it begins to appear into view at around 2 minutes or so.  Looks to me as though they are simply taking it one layer at a time, which explains the near vertical walls towering over proceedings. 5-Star Hotel one day perhaps? If so then I would say to the developers to learn from Shanghai’s Underwater Quarry Hotel (Number 2 above) and carve your rooms into the cliff walls rather than build over them. And call me if and when that time comes! The question is: how far down can they feasibly go? And at current rates of extraction when is this expected to be achieved? There must after all be a point whereby the quarry floor is simply too deep to be exploited profitably. And what then?

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16

Now this you simply must watch (and another one for the gear heads out there). I’ve seen a lot of very clever heavy equipment handling in my time, but these two experts take the cake. See them make easy going of this most precarious of maneuvers.  All in a day’s work for these crafty quarrymen, they actually make it look easy. Ha! One slip and we know the outcome, and so do they.

Then, just when you think you know what’s going on, they have to wend their way around a 90 degree corner. Damn (I hope they are being very well paid for this). Nicely photographed too by the way. And notice too how quiet the whole operation is – and with no black diesel smoke billowing into the air. All-in-all I’d say very smooth marble quarry operators indeed.

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17

Although like many I have often heard of Jerusalem Stone this is the first time I have seen anything of the quarry from where it originates. So stand by for a fairly big production as we are taken methodically through the quarrying process and on to the various ultra-prestigious private and governmental projects around the world. My God, that is a lot of blocks. And Jeez, look at the size of the finishing plant… and, I think I spotted maybe three workers. Untouched by human hand alright. Welcome to today.

My observations are just that. My opinions on the huge amounts of poly this and UV that, that they drip, spray and pour over the marble are my own, as I have outlined them many times here at martincooney.com. But it is exactly this process that sadly confuses people about just what marble is, or isn’t. It is not naturally shiny, it does not feel like plastic – as people are prone to confess once they see, touch and feel my signature Curvilinear Marble Carvings. For I use none of these products, because I don’t have to. The mere marble itself if good enough for me, and I am guessing, if an enlightened company like this was will to try it out I am guessing that they could put out a range of new Raw Marble counter tops. Executives out there reading this, please get in touch, I know how this could be done, and why it would be so fantastically popular with today’s savvy customer.

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18

This beautiful little under 2 minute video brings back such delightful memories as it glides the viewer up and over the very same quarries that I myself clambered around back in the spring and early summer of 2014.

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19

You have to admire the men in this film. Charged with splitting and removing the giant blocks required for the temple, they appear to have set about the task armed with just a few old drills, a couple of crowbars, and sheer determination. Oh, and two slightly overtaxed, nay supremely inadequate lifters. But by God, don’t they just go and do it – just like that. Where there is a will, but inadequate equipment, there is indeed a way.

But what I REALLY loved was the splitting by plug and feather – an action I have taken many, many times – and each time it is always the same thrill as the stone suddenly cleaves apart, hopefully exactly where you want it to, as appears to be the case with the big long slab.  It’s worth watching just for that shot alone. Quarry workers in bare feet! Now that is something I have never witnessed before. And what nimble and precise workers they are. No wonder their bosses look well pleased at the end of the day.

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20

Another massive marble quarry, this time from Spain, whereby the favored method appears to be toppling giant wire cut slabs – which they do with excellent precision by the way, then dealing with the resulting breakages. But oh, dear NO, not explosives! Not in a marble quarry – the shock waves and resulting cracks this sort of quarrying wastes a lot of otherwise good stone I am afraid to say, and I simply do not approve. Not that that will bother anyone I am sure, or at least I hope, for it is my honest opinion that explosives have no place in a marble quarry – facts that I can prove at length. There simply is no reason to do it, which is why most marble quarries don’t. But all credit to them – their quarry appears impressively run. (You will certainly want to turn the volume down, or maybe off entirely, for the duration of this very, very loud and intense soundtrack.  But by the end of this 5 minute video it is clear that, once the giant slab has been felled it is cut not with smaller wire saws, but by drilling multiple holes then splitting, presumably with an industrial version of plug and feather wedges.

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21

I like the way this video places the camera right in the heart of the action, with giant wheels looking bigger and more dangerous than ever when only inches it seems from harm’s way. It certainly illustrates the inherent danger that working in a quarry brings to those charged with the task of quarrying. But then, there go the explosives once again, and once again I have to say that I don’t like it, and repeat that my objections are mirrored by the vast majority of marble quarries that decry the practice and avoid it at all cost.

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22

This is one of the few videos out of the 41 in the series that I have actually seen before, and still stands as one of the best of the lot. It is what captured my attention and originally tempted me to put this epic list of quarry videos together, as I really think that aerial videos are the best way to understand the marble industry. Few people have any idea of the scale and scope of these stone quarries, but in my opinion they should not be afraid or resentful, for at the end of the day they employ skilled and well paid workers, leave nothing in the way of toxins behind, and once the quarry is spent and no longer viable, there will be a fantastic open space left behind for future generation to do with what they will.

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23

Ah, and now we are on familiar territory, for this is the quarry much documented upon right here at martincooney.com. It is also obviously the quarry that has produced the stone for all of my marble sculpture, and so it is with particular interest that I discovered this video some months back during my research regarding the Yule marble quarry. I like the style of the video and the sharp focus of the message: “Because you know what you have at the front and in your face, but you never know what is in the back. It’s a challenge, everyday it’s a challenge. The challenge here is to (simply) keep the quarry open all year long”. Quite right, and what a challenge these hardy men face. “But we no lose one day. We work five day, every week the year long, of course.”

I think this is a fantastic video and one that really captures the essence of just what is going on these days up at the historic Yule marble quarry. For what these knowledgeable, motivated and experienced quarrymen have done, and are doing, is nothing short of miraculous when compared to a chequered and often at times torturous history stretching back over 125 years. Now at last, instead of limping along weighed down under the massive burden of infrastructure, as was the unfortunate reality with previous generations of quarriers, this time around Colorado Stone Quarries, backed by the corporate giants within the quarrying industry, Red Graniti, have at last created financial buoyancy with the introduction of entirely new state of the art equipment, but are now busily completing a fabrication plant in nearby Delta, Colorado. And so, all-in-all you could say that for the first time ever, things are absolutely hunk-dory up there as this neat little video amply conveys.

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24

While the focus of this distinctly Old School micro documentary remains locked on to the huge Volvo machines that we see in great detail in practically every scene, the quarry accounts very well for itself as a model of professionalism and pride, not to mention quite a spilling of emotion. But the essence conveyed here is that everyone cares very much in what they are doing, and that can only be a good thing when the dangers and outright hardships of working in a quarry – even a supremely well run and organized one such as this. And of course, just look at the quality of that stone. Absolutely magnificent, and I can vouch for that.

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25

LOTS of GIANT MONSTER TRUCK ACTION going on here – right from the off, and with heavy, heavy metal roaring the whole thing on. Then, once we get going we begin to learn of the scale of this truly massive marble quarry via means of equally impressive statistics. We then get a grand tour of the workings by the men who work them as they describe their task in clear detail. It also neatly outlines the exacting demand on quarry equipment tires: obviously a challenge that these men feel Michelin meet to a very high standard. My eyes however keep returning to the rock, so splintered, cracked and deformed. I think these hardy quarrymen should take pride in the way they are able to extract first rate marble out of a quarry that looks to the lay man’s eye like it has been blown to bits. Not that I am blaming anyone for the cracks, nor am I suggesting the use of explosives. All I am saying is that it must take an extra element of determination to pull world class marble out from such a massive moonscape. Hat’s off to all.

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26

Considering the many marble finishing plants that we have reviewed on this list few if any have employed the numbers we see working in this video. Although the quarry is featured it is the infrastructure of the whole operation that is being presented here. Very distinctive looking tiles and pavers, I must say. And WOW, that final shot – breathtaking, and vast.

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27

First, switch the voice marked audio off right away. Then, bloody hell, what a massive quarry. I had no idea such enormous places exist. Nice, clean, straight edged marble blocks too, nothing snapped or broken. Short, sweet, effective and to the point. Well done film makers.

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28

Ever wondered how those long wire saw lengths are assembled? Probably not, but watch this, it is short and from now on when you see them you will know exactly how they are put together – at least in this instance.

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29

I don’t really know a lot about machines, especially these sort of specialist quarry monsters, but I do know enough to know that this beast is one giant son of a gun. It’s unbelievable really, and makes you wonder just how big these earth movers will eventually get. But gaze you eyes upon this the Liebherr R9150 and you will begin to get some idea of the direction we are headed.

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30

A little change in the narrative now as we discover a marble quarry quarrying primarily for dust and not block. Here the chase is on to capture as much calcium carbine as possible, with but a few of the stone selected by local stone carvers and pulled from the pile. Quite a tidy and nicely organized operation if you ask me. And all those product they get from a little bit of marble dust – so many, you will be amazed.

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31

There are massive quarries, medium quarries, small and tiny quarries, and then there is this; hardly the size of a football field by the look of it, but right there and easy to get at, and looking pretty good if you ask me. It almost looks as if someone is building themselves their own marble dream house, but no, it is actually a quarry, and all credit to all involved. On further inspection there does appear to be much more where that came from, as we see towards the end, and so well done to all involved, your quarry looks great.

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32

If you are looking for a big, swanky, high tech production – one that will lead you step-by-step through the entire marble quarrying and processing industry, then this is the one for you. At 13 minutes it does at times repeat itself a bit, but by the end I assure you, you will know pretty much everything about the marble industry, and the Greek marble industry in particular. Although two sound glitches erase the strong documentary style voice over I don’t think that they serve as too much of a distraction. By the end of the video we are fully aware of the size, scope, scale and quality of Greek marble, and in this regard I think we can all agree that all involved with this plush production managed to get their message across extremely well.

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“At Marble.com, our stone comes from the best quarries located around the world. Since we partner with these quarries directly, our customers are sure to get the best prices possible. Natural stone is formed starting miles underneath the Earth’s surface. Boiling molten rock builds pressure and rises through the cracks in the Earth’s surface. The magma eventually hardens and transforms into a material known as granite. The material can then be mined from the Earth. Once the stone is extracted from the mountain, the blocks of stone are broken down into a more manageable size. These pieces are then cut into slabs using a high-powered gangsaw. Water is used in combination with saws to prevent heating. After the slabs are cut, they are polished to enhance the natural beauty of the stone, as they begin to close resemble the finished product.”

Short, sweet, and very much to the point. This nifty little vid takes us all the way from metamorphosis to metropolitan show room as we take a quick glimpse of each process along the way from rough block to standard slab.

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Hugeness is the message here. R.K. Marble leave us in no doubt about their market share or their plans for the future. Raw ambition matched with quite staggering achievement.

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Enormous landscapes of Carrara open up as we fly over the famous marble quarries. Swelling music, stunning views, staggering images. What’s there not to like?

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This raw footage film shows us the workings of the fantastic Fantini marble cutting machine. Not only does this method of quarrying produce neat square cornered blocks, it also all but eliminates waste in the process. Working in unison with the band saws this method of quarrying presents a bright future for the marble quarrying industry and the whole process is now precise and sanitized, which is good for the bottom line, and good for the environment. It’s nice to hear the actual sounds of the quarry along with the sights – much more informative for the viewer than simply blasting music over it.

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Another beautiful little video showing us the beauty of marble in all its glory. From flying over the quarry we are suddenly propelled into the action, first by a series of close ups detailing the action, then by free flowing imagery of the marble flying through the air, wire saws whirling away, massive gantries gliding along and so forth. Well worth a watch.

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This brilliant little time caspule takes us along the process of what happens, or what happened back in 1955, to the marble once it was quarried. We see spectacularly well organized processing plants milling the marble into a myriad of shapes and products. The cheery voice over confidently predicts a supply of marble providing the Georgia outfit  stone for the next 3,500 years! Jaunty stuff, and well worth a view.

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And finally, a full blown PBS documentary, no less. In five minutes we are taken off to Tuscany where we are treated to some excellent images of Carrara marble at work. Sculptors exclaim their love of marble, facts and figures fly through the air, and soon we are witnessing its extraction from the ancient quarries. Finally we are faced with the inevitable consequences of the quarrying. As much marble has been quarried in the last 20 years as has been extracted in the previous 2,000 years. Yes, two thousand years.

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And on that note I will end this epic post by thanking you for taking the time to actually be reading this. You deserve a medal of some kind.

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40 BEST YouTube Marble Quarry Videos: It’s a big marble world out there

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thanks for visiting martincooney.com

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