Pitkin County Colorado.

[tamrock]

Took these yesterday as I made a visit to a quarry of white marble. The company that operates the quarry is based out of Carrara, Italy and 90% of this marble from the quarry is trucked all that way to Savanna, GA and loaded on a cargo ship and sent to Carrara, Italy. I guess the stone at the marble quarries in Carrara that have been quarrying since Roman times have just about depleted the purer white marbles and the Italians are willing to come all the way to Colorado to get this treasure. Also in Marble, Colo there's a gallery that sells sculptures of the Colorado Yule marble as it's called. The life size scale Cougar with cubs has a price of $48'000. I'm sure it doesn't include free shipping either. The other pictures of the old coke ovens and others I took around the town of Red Stone, Colorado.

 

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[ronwoodcraft]

Again, Just wow!! Very interesting post, and fantastic photo's.

 

[tamrock]

Again, Just wow!! Very interesting post, and fantastic photo's.

Thanks! Ron, it was definitely a delightful trip of two nights out on the road this week.

 

[worldtalker]

Grant,

Those ovens remind me of the charcoal pits in Union Conn. back in the 60's.

GOD Bless

Chris

 

[VERDE]

Hey tamrock!! Gorgeous statues, really some artisans up there!! Thanks for the Pics!! Hope you're well!! Anyway, GOOD LUCK and GOOD HUNTING!! VERDE!!

 

[Old Dude]

I agree with Ron about what an interesting post. I marvel at people with talent like that. To think someone spends all that money for something that basically is just a rock to be shipped across the world for someone to turn a big chunk of rock into something like those statues is just mindboggling. Without art or music, our world would be a very black and white place and I am glad people realize it's importance.

 

[BosnMate]

You know Grant, if you would adopt me, you could buy that cougar and give it to me for a present, and I'd say, "Thanks Dad." Great pictures and interesting story once again.

 

[tamrock]

I could look for a really small one. I didn't go in the gallery inside, but last time I did, they had smaller sculptures that would fit on a well built end table.

 

[Gold Maven]

great pics again.

did you take any pics of the marble quarry? Probably no blasting with that stuff, do they cut it out?

 

[tamrock]

great pics again.

did you take any pics of the marble quarry? Probably no blasting with that stuff, do they cut it out?

No shoot'n here... The guy I wanted to see was at the office. I'll get up there sometime. They excavate the blocks with a very expensive chainsaw on crawler tracks that is made in Italy. I use to sell them rockdrill bits and steel before they went with high tech machine. You'll see how the stone was broke with drill holes on the center stone the horses sculpture is sitting on. They would drill a line of holes to break it in to blocks. They've never did any blasting to quarry this dimensional stone. I think that big block in the center of the one picture has a value of around $300K and it's cut in to a perfect cube. They only load two of those on a flat bed headed to Savanna. I've passed these trucks loaded with Colorado marble a few time heading east on I-70 going home. They load trucks all day with these massive blocks. Today's architecture in marble can look a lot more dramatic in design over what the Romans to the Victorians did with it. Europeans still covet real stone. Here in the US we like the faux stone as it's much lighter and cheaper. A customer in Lyons Colorado, who quarries the red sandstone says he's feeling the effects of this faux stone market. Less buyers for the real stuff these days he says. So he need less from me these days. He breaks the rock with drill holes and a wedging tool known as a plug & feather