Quartzite
Quartzite is a metamorphic rock — quartz sandstone fused under heat and pressure until the grains interlock into a single crystalline mass. On the Mohs scale it sits at about 7, against marble at 3 to 5, and because it is a silicate rather than a carbonate it does not react with the acids that etch marble. That combination is why it has become the standard answer for a bathroom top, a kitchen island or a piece that has to survive a hotel lobby.
Cut to order. Quartzite is a material we cut, and there are no quartzite pieces in the collection to list here. The block is chosen with you, photographed before cutting, and quoted against your size.
This is our stone floor in Shuitou. We have not yet cut a piece in quartzite, so there is nothing of ours in that stone to show you here.
What the material is
Quartzite, in substance
Quartzite begins as sandstone. When that sandstone is buried deep enough and put under enough tectonic heat and pressure, the separate sand grains recrystallise and fuse into an interlocking mosaic of quartz crystals. The rock that comes out is mostly quartz — the Brazilian cream stones commonly sold as quartzite run over ninety per cent — and it keeps the sediment layers that were laid down before the metamorphism as the soft veining and movement you see in the slab. It is that combination, a hard silicate body carrying the drawn pattern of sediment, that makes the material worth specifying. It gives the look of marble with the behaviour of a much harder stone.
What we can say about it
The figures, and where they come from
These are published values for the material as a type. The limits of each one are stated underneath.
| Mohs hardness | about 7 Marble runs 3 to 5, granite 6 to 7. A steel coin will not scratch it. |
|---|---|
| Reaction with acid | none It is a silicate, so lemon juice, vinegar and wine leave it alone. Marble etches because it is calcite. |
| Quartz content | over 90% Typical of the Brazilian cream quartzites. Other quartzites vary. |
| Main source | Minas Gerais, Brazil The source of the cream and gold stones sold under names like Taj Mahal and Sea Pearl. |
Sources. Natural Stone Institute hardness and composition data for quartzite; Marble Institute of America guidance on acid etching of calcitic stone; Quarry and processing literature on Brazilian quartzite.
What this page does not cover
Where we stop, and why
These are the limits of what is written above, stated so nothing here has to be taken on trust.
- We do not publish a hardness test, a density figure or an absorption figure for our own blocks. The numbers above are published industry values for quartzite as a rock type, not measurements taken from a slab in our workshop.
- We have not tested how a particular quartzite we have been offered behaves under a specific finish, and we do not sell a named quartzite here — the block is chosen with the buyer and photographed before cutting.
- The market for quartzite carries a known problem: stones sold under the same name are sometimes softer dolomitic marble. Every block we cut is acid-tested on the sample before it is booked, and we say so rather than relying on the name on the invoice.
Where it earns its place
The forms of furniture this material suits
Each of these is a form we cut. The block is chosen with the buyer and photographed before cutting.
- Bathroom tops and vanities, where toothpaste, perfume and hair products will meet the surface
- Kitchen islands and dining tops, where acid and heat both occur
- Feature walls and backlit panels, because the stone carries light a short way into the slab
- Entrance halls and hotel lobbies, where the surface takes daily traffic
Questions about this material
What we are asked about quartzite
The answers that cover it.
Marble vs Granite vs Quartzite vs Travertine for Furniture
How marble, granite, quartzite and travertine differ for furniture — hardness, acid resistance, porosity, weight and where each one earns its place in a room.
Bathroom Stone Care: Limescale, Etching and Staining
Why bathroom marble etches faster than kitchen marble, which products cause it, how to remove limescale from a stone basin without etching it, and what to do about hard water.
Ask for a price
Tell us the size and the finish
A quote needs the size, the finish and the delivery address. We photograph the block before cutting and send the photographs for approval, so what arrives is what you approved.