Yellow marble is a metamorphic rock composed primarily of recrystallized calcite colored by impurities like iron oxides or organic matter. It typically exhibits a dense, crystalline texture that can take a high polish and is commonly used for interior cladding or small lapidary projects.
Is this yellow marble?
5-step field checkRun through these checks against the specimen in your hand. The more boxes tick, the more confident the ID.
- 1Test the hardnessTry to scratch yellow marble with a known reference. Yellow Marble sits at Mohs 3-4 — softer than the next harder reference, harder than the previous one.
- 2Check the streakDrag the specimen across an unglazed porcelain plate. Yellow Marble leaves a white streak.
- 3Read the lusterHold the specimen under a strong light. Yellow Marble typically shows a subvitreous luster.
- 4Match the color rangeCompare against the expected color range: yellow, golden, cream.
- 5Look at form & habitCrystal system: trigonal. Typical habit: massive.
Often confused with
Yellow Marble vs. its common look-alikes — and how to tell them apart in the field.
How to tell apart: Luster reads subvitreous on Yellow Marble and vitreous on Calcite.
How to tell apart: Luster reads subvitreous on Yellow Marble and vitreous on Mexican Onyx.
How to tell apart: Luster reads subvitreous on Yellow Marble and vitreous on Dolomite.
Often found alongside yellow marble
Minerals reported to co-occur with yellow marble. Spotting these in float or country rock is a strong cue you are in the right ground.
All properties
- Mohs hardness
- 3-4
- Density
- 2.7 g/cm³
- Streak
- White
- Luster
- Subvitreous
- Transparency
- Translucent
- Crystal system
- Trigonal
- Crystal habit
- Massive
- Cleavage
- Perfect Rhombohedral
- Rarity
- Common
- Uses
- Decorative, Lapidary, Architecture, Collector
- Host rock
- Metamorphosed Limestone
- Typical price
- $5-20 per specimen
Where rockhounds find yellow marble
1 mapped spotsClassic worldwide localities
- Italy
- Greece
- USA
- Turkey
- Spain
Field-hunting tip
Look in metamorphosed limestone country — that is the host setting where yellow marble typically forms. If you start seeing calcite, dolomite, quartz in float, you are in the right ground. Field specimens usually show a massive habit, so train your eye for that shape before scanning the outcrop. In the U.S., the densest reported localities are in Kentucky — start trip planning there.
Common questions
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Find yellow marble on the map
RockHoundR shows mapped rockhounding spots, access rules, and lets you log every find.
