The Work
Both quarried, both hard, both sealed. Where they part ways:
See all the work →Both are natural stone, both are hard, both take hot pans and both are sealed. The real difference is the look, and where each one is happiest.
Quartzite has the long, flowing veining of marble on a stone that is generally harder. It is the choice for a kitchen that wants a marble look without marble's etching: Taj Mahal in Hinsdale, White Macaubas in Glenview, Taj Mahal in Naperville. It is sealed at install and resealed periodically; the water test tells you when.
Granite tends toward speckle, depth and dark, near-solid tones. It is dense, does not etch, and typically needs resealing only every few years. It is our first recommendation for outdoor kitchens: leathered Black Pearl in Park Ridge and leathered Negresco in St. Charles handle Chicago winters and summer sun. White Valley in Glencoe shows a lighter granite indoors.
Both can be polished or honed. Leathered is common on granite, where it hides fingerprints and water spots best, and it is also available on some quartzites, including Taj Mahal.
Check the name: some softer stones are sold as quartzite. A quick scratch test on glass and a lemon drop test on a sample tell you what you have before it is cut.
| Quartzite | Granite | |
|---|---|---|
| Hardness | Generally harder. Very resistant to scratching. | Dense, scratch-resistant, doesn't etch. |
| Heat | Takes hot pans. | Takes hot pans. |
| Sealing | At install, then periodically. | At install, then every few years. |
| Finishes | Polished or honed. | Polished, honed, or leathered — leathered hides fingerprints best. |
| Outdoors | Yes. | Yes — most of our outdoor kitchens are granite. |
| The look | Marble-like veining and movement. | Speckle, flow, or near-solid — Black Pearl, Negresco, Via Lactea, White Valley. |
| Installed | Naperville, Hinsdale, Glenview, Northbrook, Glen Ellyn, Riverwoods. | Park Ridge, St. Charles, Glencoe, Chicago, Western Springs. |
