There are Natural and Engineered Stones.
The Hard Facts:
Formed over millions of years from compressed molten rock under the earth’s surface, granite is extremely hard and durable. Granite, Quartzite and Marble are natural products. They are mined, not produced.
Quartz and Porcelain are engineered. Natural quartz crystals are mined, then ground into a dust or an aggregate that’s fused with resin binders under intense heat and pressure to form a solid slab of the most popular countertop surface, Quartz.
Porcelain is made by heating a mix of powdered china stone and white china clay, also known as kaolin, at about 1450°C. The high temperature causes the china stone to vitrify into a dense, highly durable material, while the object retains its shape thanks to the kaolin.
NATURAL STONE
Natural Stones are unique
They feature colours and patterns that are the result of very unique geological conditions each stone endured over millions of years. Natural Stone countertops bring a high-quality kitchen to the next level visually. It doesn’t stop there. Paving stone, curbing, stair treads, building veneer, and monuments and memorials are also made of Natural Stone.
Granite is volcanic in nature and can withstand much higher temperatures than quartz or solid surface material. It comprises of interlocking mineral crystals with the most common being feldspar and quartz. An array of other minerals is found throughout granite slabs, making each piece of a truly unique and natural work of art. Feldspar is the white mineral you see in granite; the light gray veins are quartz, and the black is mica.
Granite is drilled, chiselled and blasted out of quarries in large blocks, and cut with a wire saw. Granite is so hard that it requires a series of abrasive synthetic diamond polishing tools to achieve a shine. The end result is a luminous, dimensional-looking surface.