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Quartzite - is it sturdier than granite/marble?

11 years ago

I thought I was all set with Cambria Quartz for my island and then I just say pipdog's photos of his Madre Perla Quartzite counters and fell MADLY in love with them!! How do they hold up? I don't know anything about Quartzite. Is it the same thing as Quartz counters (like Cambria and Caesarstone?).

Thank you for any help!

Featured Answer

Kate618

11 years ago

My perimeter counters are madre perla & I scratch tested them at the slab yard. They don't etch at all. I had granite in my previous home & only chose quartzite this time because I wanted the strength of granite but all the granites were too busy. LOVE marble but did not want to stress with the etching, scratching

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Comments (6)

karin_mt
11 years ago
Quartzite is a natural metamorphic rock that is made primarily of the mineral quartz. "Quartz" countertops are synthetic and are made mostly of ground up quartz plus epoxy binder.

There is lots of misrepresentation of quartzite in the trade, so you have to be sure you are getting the real deal. Many stones called quartzite are actually marble. The thread below gives ample details and shows you how to do a scratch test so you can be an informed shopper.

Genuine quartzite is equally sturdy to granite or synthetic quartz. Quartzite is much stronger than marble and it will not etch.

Here is a link that might be useful: the low down on Super White
Pipdog
11 years ago
avasings, I can't speak for all quartzites, but my slabs of Madre Perla/Mother of Pearl have been bulletproof and have held up beautifully 2 years later. We do not have one stain or scratch. I think others on the board have used Taj Mahal which is very similar to Madre Perla and also doesn't etch/scratch.
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avasings
Original Author
11 years ago
Wow, thanks for the quick responses! This sounds like an amazing choice (no etching and strong too). How about staining, water stains?

Pipdog - your kitchen has got to be one of the most beautiful I have ever seen. I love the backsplash too! I am located in Northern California. Would I just ask any granite/marble/quartz place for Madre Perla quartzite? Is it hard to come by?

Thanks again!
Pipdog
11 years ago
thanks ava. I sort of stumbled across MP. I was initially looking for White Princess (which is also somewhat hard to find -- many people at local slab yards had never heard of White Princess). After about a month of looking for White Princess, I was roaming aimlessly around a large slab yard and literally bumped into my Madre Perla slabs. It was fate, I guess. :)

I didn't see MP at the smaller yards (I looked in the Bay Area too -- at DaVinci and Bedrosians and I don't think either one had slabs in stock at the time). If you are looking, you might want to start your search by just calling around and seeing if various local slab yards carry it and can send you photos of the slabs they have in stock.
camphappy
11 years ago
I live in the SF Bay Area and purchased my quartzite (Taj Mahal) from Da Vinci in San Carlos. They had several different types of quartzites but they are labeled granites. Pietra Fina in Hayward also had a larger selection as well as IRG in Dublin (also one in Brisbane). Arizona Tile in Livermore seemed to have a decent collection as well. I saw MP (sometimes labeled in English as Mother of Pearl) at many of these places.
I love marble and quartzite was my answer to it. It has yet to stain or etch and cleans up easily. My granite fabricator hated it, however, since it was so difficult to cut.

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