Geology
Vermont Verde Antique while having the “look” of marble is a serpentine and classified as a hydrous magnesium silicate. With the hardness and durability of most granite and its low absorption rate and high flexural strength, it is an excellent choice for both interior and exterior uses.
Vermont Verde Antique is the commercial name for the serpentine “marble” derived from highly sheared ultramafic rocks that have been rewelded and metasomatized by the process of serpentinization. Numerous lense shaped serpentinite bodies of varying size occur along the spine of the Green Mountains.
The ultramafic bodies, once thought to be of igneous intrusive origin, are now recognized as segments of ancient oceanic crust that became part of the eastern North American continent during the Taconian orogeny. This is considered to be middle Ordovician in age, around 450 million years ago.
More deformation and metamorphism took place during the Acadian orogeny around 360 million years ago. This may have resulted in the polishable Vermont Verde Antique serpentine.
Specifications
| Technical Information | English | Metrics | Test Method |
| Absorption by Weight,% |
0.15
|
0.15 | (C97) |
| Density, Lbs/Ft3 (Kg/m3) |
179
|
2,867.3 | (C97) |
| Compression Strength, psi (MPa) | 26,124 | 180.29 | (C170) |
| Abrasion Resistance, Hardness | 110 | N/A | (C241) |
| Flexural Strength, psi (mpa) | 4178 | 33.37 | (C880) |