Since the discovery of fire many moons ago, natural stones have been used to contain it in many ways. The earliest fireplaces were usually a spot in the center of a floor surrounded by stone to keep it from spreading throughout a tent made from hides or in a wood structure. Over many years as homes evolved, the fireplace was made and remade until we have the fireplace forms that exist today.

Up until the Victorian era, the home fireplace was a necessity for heating the home. It was about this time that the fireplace also became a more decorative element in a home. With opulence and beauty now playing such a part in home design in Europe and America, fireplaces were being made fancier and more beautiful.

One of the natural stones that became very popular to surround fireplaces and to use as mantles was marble. The more wealthy people during this time wanted to capture much of the elegance that could be found in palaces and castles around the world. Marble represented their wealth and luxurious lifestyles very well. White Carrera marble was probably the most popular marble used during this time.

For a long time people would use standard looking red or brown colored brick to build their fireplaces because they were durable and not as expensive as using more elaborate natural stone such as marble stone, but in recent years there has been a return to more glamorous fireplaces and people are again using marble as well as other beautiful natural stones.

The beautiful look of fireplaces made with marble is one of the most popular today. Having a new marble fireplace installed can be very expensive for the average person, but if you are well off enough you can find original antique marble fireplaces. You would have to be prepared to pay anywhere from $100,000 dollars and up for really a nice antique marble fireplace for your home.

You can find many beautiful examples of these antique marble fireplaces on the internet. Some will have their prices listed and others you may have to call for pricing. You can find these marble fireplaces trimmed out in bronze or other metals and some will have elaborate carvings.

There is no such thing as an ugly antique marble fireplace. Marble is a natural stone that is so beautiful that it would be almost impossible to create anything from it that could be considered unattractive.