To Restore Marble Busts and Statues, we begin with research on the type of stone, its translucency, amount of veining, and previous conservation and restoration treatments.

The first step is logistics; being able to protect the marble while it is being moved into, within, and out of the workshop. While in the shop, the piece will need to be rotated around, often upside down, and placed in precarious positions for the work needed. 

Cleaning the stone is the second step. Grease, stains and embedded soil are lifted away from the surface with suitable gentle chemicals. Essential in this step is to clean only to the extent needed. Over-cleaning is a common problem with treatments of marble and stone statuary.

Subsequent steps involve:

• Filling of gaps. Paramount in the process is achieving the transparency of the original marble, and matching the marble’s color. Although it may appear Carrara white, subtle differences in shade become noticeable when the treatment is complete.
• Sealing of the surface to prevent future staining. High quality waxes comprised of paraffins and plastics are the preferred sealants. These can be blended with fine colorants to achieve the subtle shades of the original.