Materials · Comparison
Marble vs Granite vs Quartzite vs Travertine for Furniture
For furniture, the decision comes down to three properties: how hard the stone is, how it reacts to acid, and how much it drinks. Marble is the softest and most acid-sensitive of the four. Quartzite is the hardest and the least porous. Granite sits between them and is the least acid-sensitive. Travertine is the most porous and the most visibly textured.
Which of the four is the hardest?
Quartzite, at about 7 on the Mohs scale. Granite runs around 6 to 7, marble about 3 to 5, and travertine around 3 to 4.
| Stone | Mohs hardness | Acid resistance |
|---|---|---|
| Quartzite | about 7 | High |
| Granite | 6 to 7 | High |
| Marble | 3 to 5 | Low — calcite reacts with acid |
| Travertine | 3 to 4 | Low |
Sources: Natural Stone Institute hardness data; Marble Institute of America acid resistance guidance
How can you tell quartzite and marble apart?
Two tests. Put a drop of lemon juice or vinegar on the surface: marble etches and dulls because it is largely calcite, quartzite does not react. And try a knife blade: quartzite will not be scratched by a steel coin, marble will.
Source: Marble Institute of America identification guidance
Which one is best for a bathroom?
Marble and travertine are the softest and will show etching from toothpaste, perfume and hair products in a wet room. Honed finishes disguise etching better than polished. If a bathroom surface will take acid products daily, quartzite is the practical answer.
Which is the heaviest for the same table size?
Travertine and marble are close, at roughly 2.6 to 2.7 kg per litre. Granite is slightly heavier at about 2.7 to 2.8, and quartzite at about 2.6 to 2.7. The difference is small enough that the block, not the density, usually decides the weight.
Source: Natural Stone Institute density data
Is travertine just a holey marble?
No. Travertine is a sedimentary limestone formed by mineral deposition, and it is usually visibly porous with the characteristic filled or unfilled cavities. Marble is a metamorphic rock, formed when limestone is recrystallised under heat and pressure. That is why travertine has holes and marble has veins.
Source: Natural Stone Institute
What this page does not cover
What this page does not cover: hardness and density figures are published industry values for these rock types as a whole, not measurements taken from the specific blocks in our workshop. Individual stone can sit outside its type average, particularly on the harder or softer end. We have not tested the current stock. We do not publish prices for any of the four.