Indian Marble Carpet Weights

These Indian marble carpet weights, which date from the 18th century, are in a private UK collection. Used on a terrace or veranda, carpet weights were intended to hold light-weight summer carpets, typically made from cotton or silk, in place at the corners in case there was a breeze. Prior to treatment, the carpet weights were discoloured overall by the presence of handling dirt, which was likely the result of how they were used previously. In general, marble is considered an ideal material for laser cleaning because lasers are most successful in removing surface dirt from pale-coloured objects. The darker dirt will absorb the energy from the laser, but the lighter stone substrate will reflect it.