Granite and Marble are 100% natural stone quarried from the earth, while Quartz is a synthetic man-made material made to mimic natural stone.
Granite and Marble have similarities, they come in many colors, each slab being unique. They are both durable, resistant to heat, scratches, and stains, they also have many differences. Granite and Marble are both relatively easy to maintain, they should both be sealed during the fabrication process prior to customer installation.
Granite and marble (along with marble’s relatives – limestone, onyx, and travertine) also have many differences. Granite is formed deep in the earth’s mantle at extremely high temperatures. It is a very hard, resistant stone made of crystallized minerals. The marble family – limestone, travertine, marble, onyx – starts out as sediment – animal skeletons and shells, plant matter, silt – at the bottom of bodies of water. After millions of years, this solidifies (lithifies) into stone. Because its main component is calcium, it can be affected by acids such as vinegar and citrus. When it comes to care and maintenance, Marble is not quite as tough as Granite and Quartz – it is a porous material and is more susceptible to stains, chips, and scratches.
Quartz, being a man-made product, has, in most cases, a uniform appearance in comparison to granite or marble. Quartz countertops are engineered from approximately 93% natural quartz, blended with advanced polymer resins and colorfast pigments to create an elegant, durable work surface. In a quartz countertop you may have small pieces of quartz, granite, and even recycled mirror particles or colored glass. These materials are all mixed together with the resin, poured into a large block mold. Vacuums and Vibration help to press out the air, then the quartz blocks are “baked” in a special process using heat and pressure. Once the quartz block is baked, it is loaded into a gangsaw to be sliced, you can liken this to a bread slicer slicing a loaf of bread. Then the slabs are polished on one face and prepared for shipment. Once at the stone fabricator, the quartz slabs can be finished with any custom countertop edge, based on customer preference. Quartz countertops come standard in a polished finish, and can be customized with a honed finish as well. Additionally, some quartz manufacturers offer a leathered finish for some colors. Gala Marble World has a wide variety of quartz color options that you can view here, or by visiting our showroom.
