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Asterix granite - anyone have it, considered it?

15 years ago

I went granite window shopping last weekend and saw a granite that made me want to change all my ideas about what I wanted. VERY stunning. It was called Asterix. The slab was mostly black with lots of gray, brown and little bit of tan swirlying through it. The stunning part was all the mica in it. It sparkled and had streaks of brilliant silver shining out and made it look very 3 dimensional. I have never seen anything like it.

When I asked about it they said 3 things.

1) Premium pricing

2) "softer" than other granites

3) some fabricators won't work with it

I heard:

1) granite crumbles when fabricating (remembering someone else's experience here last week with their slab)

2) out of my budget.

But, kinda like the bad boy boyfriend that you know you should break up with - I'm obsessing about that slab! It would be PERFECT on my island. I know it.

Anyone with experience - exactly how easy would this be to chip? Is it worth moving budget money around and re-envisioning my look (going with a dark granite rather than a light one?)

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Comments (8)

squwhat
15 years ago
It looks really similar to what we just put into our kitchen. We also have it in a recent bath remodel. The bath has been completed since November and so far there have been no problems. However, it is a bath that does not get a lot of use (except for contractors currently). The piece in the bathroom also doesn't have as much movement as our kitchen slabs.

Our fabricator added more mesh backing to the kitchen slabs to give a little more support. He did mention that it is a softer granite. If you are the type that wants a smooth, polished countertop, this may not be the one for you. Due to all of the variations in the stone, some areas are "shiner" than others.

Since it was just installed this week, I don't have any more information for you. However, I absolutely love my granite and I am so glad that we selected it. I thought that there might be issues with the edge chipping so we went with an inverted bullnose edge.

PS the fabricator and contractor have assured me that my piece isn't going anywhere. I'm keeping my fingers crossed.
vrjames
15 years ago
asterix is NOT a granite. It is classified geoligically as a Phyllite (look it up on Wikipedia). I learned that name here.

It is a slate based material with various types of minerals and quartz in it.

It is being sold as kitchen suitable and is not. It will scratch.

Blessings
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Hi Rubyvine, How have you been? I was in the same boat last summer my DH refused marble and I ended up going with granite. No regrets, I love my counters. I saw a granite at the stone yard last spring called Metallicus. It sounds exactly like Titanium black from Brazil. I remember it vividly. Gorgeous with lots of movement. I have no idea if this is the same stone. Hopefully Kevin or Bill, the stone gurus, can give you better advice. Names similar to Black Titanium are Metallicus or Metalicus, Asterick, Black Falcon... many names. My close friends have this on their cooktop. It is gorgeous. They have lived in this home 15 years and have had no issues with this stone. They do not know the name but it looks exactly like the slab I saw called Metalicus. ~boxer Stonedude.com has advice about stones. http://www.stoneadvice.com/ Asterix granite - anyone have it, considered it? http://ths.gardenweb.com/forums/load/kitchbath/msg031047456305.html Metallica / Metalicus Granite? http://www.thathomesite.com/forums/load/kitchbath/msg0215425531980.html Saturnia Granite Anyone? http://ths.gardenweb.com/forums/load/kitchbath/msg0313200015722.html Here is a link that might be useful: Metallicus Granite
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I know this is an old thread, but in case anyone else checks this out, we installed Asterix Granite. Yes, the guys preparing it said it was a pain to work with - and we only just got the piece we needed for our Island because of a fissure.... but they also said it was one of the most beautiful pieces of stone they had ever worked with and I am so pleased we took the plunge. It doesn't give a perfectly smooth finish. There are so many minerals in it that the finish is a bit textured - but that actually makes it easier to clean and it never looks like it needs a polish. We've lived with ours for nearly a year and I wouldn't have anything else. Everyone who sees it admires it. It's like a piece of jewellery and it dances in the light. I can't recommend enough for the wow factor.
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I have it, mine is called cosmos gold. It is VERY difficult to cut. My standard curved edge looks horrible but It is sort of camoflouged with all the colors. Yes it has mica in it and it will splinter rather than cut depending on where it is templated. I have ogee edges on perimeter but they are not smooth like other granites. I can feel the edges but my eye does not see them so I can overlook it. NOw my standard curved granite edge on the island has areas where the fabricator had to hand cut the edge and it shows!! He had to make an epoxy color mix to fill in the holes, etc. I notice it everyday! IT IS GORGEOUS though, looks really good in leathered finish, then all concerns above dissapear. I learned that after the fact! I have been here in my new home 4 months and it does not bother me as much as when it was first put in... JUST get a quality fabircator and play around with junk/scrap pieces first!
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squwhat
15 years ago
vrjames -
OMG I hope tht I didn't make a mistake. Guess only time will tell for me.
surveymom
Original Author
15 years ago
Thanks for the replies. vrjames -is it not kitchen suitable because it will scratch? Are there other properties about it that I should be concerned with? Would the wear issues be similar to what you would worry about with polished marble?
savinmoneymom80_gmail_com
13 years ago
I would NOT recommend this for any countertop in any part of a home. It does scratch and is not dense at all. My husband is a fabricator of stone and brought a piece home to show me how quickly it falls apart. Granted the pieces were about 5"x5" and the kitchen would be in bigger pieces..even so I was disgusted at how it fell apart. When the piece was wet (which in a kitchen will happen) some of the layers turned into wet dirt. Also on thinner pieces that chipped while cutting (about 1/4" strips) just snapped...not even a hard crack sound a dull simple snap. I was told by a vendor that you can't roll out dough on the surface because it would pick up pieces from the granite...the granite my husband fabs. is sealed twice before he receives it and he seals it a 3rd time before installation and if this is the quality of the granite no matter what...no thank you. I am going to try and push customers away from this color...would be okay is kitchen is minimal to no use but definitely not dense enough for a kitchen continually put to use.

That all being said....there is an exception to every rule so some ppl out there may have zero issue. I just know I wouldn't even mildly consider this color for any part in my home after seeing what I did.
palmazanjr_yahoo_com
13 years ago
I have it in my kitchen, bought in a Houston yard (MIDWAY), looks beautiful, was hard to work with and only problem I had was the installer (not the fabricator) damaged a small portion at the wall. Was hidden with decorative trim. Looks great and has been lived on four years. No cracks and has not been babied. Small scratches were colored with a black marker. I treat it with a duPont stone product annually. Very happy I bought it.
neehoo_aol_com
13 years ago
How do you all think it would hold up in a bathroom. I have a very small bathroom and considering using it for vanity top and threshhold to shower and some shelves in shower. What do you think?
PRO
Ontra Stone Concepts
8 years ago

A recently installed floor-to-ceiling Asterix fireplace surround and hearth. 115" x 73".

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