Quartzite worktops
Marble movement, granite hardness, and a slab nobody else has. The one people mean when they say they want something special.
Quartzite is a natural metamorphic rock, formed when sandstone is fused under heat and pressure until the grains recrystallise. It is not the same thing as engineered quartz, despite the name, and that confusion is the single most common reason people end up with the wrong material.
- Composition
- Natural metamorphic rock, recrystallised sandstone
- Not the same as
- Engineered quartz, despite the name
- Hardness
- Harder than granite
- Porosity
- Mildly porous, seal on fitting then periodically
- Acid
- Far more resistant than marble
- Cost
- Generally above granite, often above quartz
Cost: Priced by hand, and worth reserving a slab early if you find one you love
Quartzite is not quartz, and the difference matters
Engineered quartz is a manufactured slab, crushed stone bound with resin, consistent and non-porous. Quartzite is a natural rock, quarried in blocks, every slab unique and mildly porous. They sound alike and behave differently. Quartzite is harder than granite, tolerates heat far better than engineered quartz, and has the flowing movement people usually associate with marble. It also costs more, and it wants sealing.
Why people choose it
Because they want marble and cannot live with marble. Quartzite gives you dramatic natural veining without the acid sensitivity, so a lemon on a quartzite worktop is not a crisis. The famous names have real presence: Taj Mahal, warm and creamy and probably the most requested. Cristallo, almost translucent. Fusion and Lemurian Blue, which are closer to artwork than surfacing and usually end up on an island with a light behind them.
The honest limits
It is porous, so it seals on fitting and periodically after. Some stones sold as quartzite are softer than true quartzite, and behave more like marble, which is why buying from someone who will tell you the difference matters. It is expensive, generally above granite and often above quartz. And because every slab is genuinely unique, availability is unpredictable, so if you fall for one, it is worth reserving quickly.
Care, honestly
Seal it, wipe spills, use a board for chopping, and use a trivet for anything straight off a flame even though it will probably cope. Beyond that, it is one of the lowest-anxiety natural stones you can own. Our stone pages carry care notes written for the specific stone, because quartzite and marble need different advice and getting them the same way round is a real problem elsewhere.
Not only kitchens
Kitchens are most of what we do, but they are not all of it. If it is stone and it needs templating and fitting, it is worth asking us about.
Kitchen worktops
Runs, peninsulas and full replacements, in any of the five materials.
Kitchen islands
Including mitred waterfall ends and bookmatched slabs.
Bathrooms
Shower surrounds, thresholds, window sills and bath panels cut from one stone.
Vanity tops
Cut for undermount or countertop basins, with the tap holes where you want them.
Splashbacks and upstands
Cut from the same slab as the worktop so the veining runs on unbroken.
Outdoor kitchens
Porcelain or hard granite, both of which take weather and sunlight.
Commercial surfaces
Reception desks, bar tops, office kitchens and hospitality fit-outs.
Fireplaces
Hearths, surrounds and mantel shelves cut to your opening and finished by hand.
Dining tables
Table and console tops cut to your shape, on your base or one being made for you.
What is included as standard
- Every cut-out free of charge, for the sink, hob, taps and sockets, however many
- Pencil edges as standard, so corners are kind to small hands
- Drainer grooves as standard
- Free home visit with samples, we come to you
- Your actual slab approved from photographs before anything is cut
- 10 year guarantee, in writing
Cut-outs, drainer grooves and pencil edges are commonly itemised as extras elsewhere. They are not extras here, which is worth checking when you compare two quotes that look similar at the headline.
How it works
Free home visit
We come to you with samples, look at the actual room and talk through the stone, the edges and the layout. No showroom trip, and no obligation.
One itemised price
Templating, stone, fabrication, all cut-outs, fitting and VAT, in one figure agreed before anything is cut. What you approve is what you pay.
Template
Once your units are level we template the room by hand, to a fraction of a millimetre, and agree joint positions and veining direction with you in the room.
Your slab, approved
You see photographs of your actual slab and approve it before it is cut, so there are no surprises when it arrives.
Fitted and sealed
Our own fitters install it, usually within three to five working days of templating, and we take the packaging away with us.
Aftercare inside 72 hours
If anything needs adjusting afterwards we come back, free of charge, and we have never taken more than 72 hours to get there.
Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between quartz and quartzite?
Is quartzite better than marble?
Does quartzite need sealing?
Do you carry quartzite?
Related
Other materials
Guides worth reading
Get a price for quartzite
A free home visit, samples in your own light, and one itemised price with nothing hidden.
Free home visit with samples. Every cut-out included. Ten year guarantee.