## 2 Materials and Methods  
The geographical area of exploitation of Marron Emperador (ME) is in the Prebetic domain, the northernmost part of the eastern region of the Betic Cordillera, between the provinces of Murcia, Albacete and Alicante (southeast Spain) [9; 12] (Figure 2). Stratigraphically corresponds to the areas in which the Sierra de Utiel Fm, of Upper Coniacian-Upper Santonian age [16; 17]. It is dolomitised presenting a massive aspect, very brecciated and a coloration that oscillates between black and gray [18]. Figure 2: Distribution of the Late Cretaceous outcrops in the study area where extractions of the “Marron Emperador” commercial marbles are concentrated. The Mesozoic tecto-sedimentary domains of the Betic Margin, the main tectonic accidents and the situation of the studied sampling outcrops and quarries are indicated. Northeast Sector: FHI-Fuente la Higuera (Valencia); EN-La Encina (Alicante); Central Sector: SC-Sierra del Cuchillo (Albacete); SP- and SPS-Sierra del Principe (Murcia); Y-Sierra de la Magdalena Este (Yeda, Murcia); FU-Sierra de la Magdalena Oeste (Murcia); Southwest Sector: JIM-Sierra de la Cingla (Murcia); FUEN-Sierra de la Fuente (Murcia); JUM-Jumilla (Murcia). Marron Emperador is a brecciated dolostone essentially formed by dolomite (~70%) and calcite (~30%). This variety is a strongly fissured dolostone that consists mainly of angular micro- and mesocrystalline dolomite clasts with 2 mm to 40 mm in size delimited by fissures (Figure 1). Fissures are frequently filled with calcite (~90%, according to [19]) and dolomite cements, and minority mineral components such as iron and manganese oxides can be present. This stone shows an anisotropic behavior of water transport that depends strongly on fissure orientation and has an essential influence on their quality and durability properties [20; 21; 22; 23; 24]. Thus, brecciated dolostones with a preferential fissure orientation present the highest anisotropy. Marron Emperador samples (average weight of sample: \(\approx\)600 g) were selected from different quarries and outcrops located at north-northeast-south-southwest (NNE-SSW) morfostructural alignment in the provinces of Alicante, Valencia and Murcia (southeast of Spain) (Figure 2). A total of 9 sampling areas or sections (distributed in 3 sectors) were studied. Most of samples were obtained from the quarries where their exploitation occurs. In order to delimit the extension and morphology of the breccia bodies, the sampling area was expanded outside the exploitation areas. Likewise, the investigation was complemented by analysing drilling core samples from prospecting campaigns. Among the criteria considered during ornamental stones exploration, lithologic characteristic, such as mineral and chemical composition, texture and petrofabric, control their aesthetic properties. As mentioned, colour and homogeneity (colour, texture, discontinuities, etc.) are relevant aesthetic properties in the Marron Emperador ornamental stone market. In order to know how compositional (mineral and chemical) and textural (crystal size, breccia type, etc.) factors interrelate and control the aesthetic quality parameters (colour, homogeneity, etc.) of the Marron Emperador commercial marble, a petrological, mineralogical and geochemical characterisation and colourimetric analysis of sampled breccias were carried out. For the description of the breccia facies, [PERSON] [25] and [PERSON] and Woodcock [26] classification schemes were followed, whereby the main criteria are the proportion of clast concentration, their degree of rotation and the degree of nesting or adjustment of the clasts, as well as the compositional variety. Thus, the main breccia types were discriminated between clast-supported breccia and matrix-supported breccia, as well as the degree of concentration/rotation of the clasts (from crackle, mosaic and rubble breccia types). The existence and nature of matrix and/or cement in inter-fragmental position was also considered.