Quartz Vs Marble: What Are The Pros & Cons?

Carrara marble; famous in its own right and the most sought after natural marble. One of the most exclusive natural stones, Carrara is often used in homes and public buildings alike, but its real claim to fame was its use in sculptures. Michelangelo used Carrara marble to sculpt famous works such as The David and The Pietà, which are kept in St Peter&#;s Basilica in the Vatican and in the Accademia Gallery in Florence.

Goto Make Sail to know more.

Where is Carrara marble from?

Quarried from the Carrara mountain region in Tuscany, Italy, this marble is well-known for its beautiful white hue and smokey grey veins. It&#;s these veins which distinguish it from the rest of the marble on the market and has become a highly desired, luxurious material.

Statuario and Calacatta marble are also quarried in the same prestigious region, but slightly differ in appearance.

Calacatta is rarer and whiter with more dramatic veining which results in a more prominent and elegant pattern. Whereas Statuario has more distinctive veining with undertones of gold or grey. These aesthetics make marble a popular interior design choice.

From sculptures to home interiors, it&#;s no surprise that Carrara marble is currently the most popular material when it comes to luxury worktops. Its natural beauty and symbolism to wealth and luxury have found it being a popular interior design trend that keeps its momentum year after year.

Carrara Quartz vs Marble

Although a beautiful stone, natural marble often lacks the desired durability, especially in busy areas of the house. There is an alternative; Carrara quartz. CRL Stone have developed a Carrara marble effect quartz which has the same stunning appearance as marble, but with the resilience and durability of quartz.

The kitchen is the heart of any home and is often subjected to spills and stains. The natural beauty of Carrara marble though can often be altered due to its durability.

Natural marble can be damaged through everyday spills common in kitchens such as lemon juice, wine and vinegar. Due to their acidic nature these liquids essentially eat away at marble surfaces, leaving a dull mark which can&#;t be cleaned away.

If you&#;ve fallen in love with the natural beauty of Carrara, but are unsure on its durability and resilience, then look to quartz. With all the aesthetic advantages of natural Carrara marble, but with minimum maintenance benefits, Carrara quartz worktops are the perfect choice.

Carrara quartz is fast becoming one of the most sought-after materials for kitchen worktops in many homes. Offering some stunning designs in shades of white, along with gorgeous veining, Carrara quartz turns out to be a great addition to any kitchen worktop surface, making it more uplifting and functional. Not only that manufacturers are coming up with increasingly natural marble-looking Carrara worktops, but these also offer superior performance. Made from blended natural quartz crystals and a small amount of resins, Carrara quartz is a non-porous material. This means that it won&#;t stain when exposed to coloured foods and/or liquids. In addition, it also means that this type of quartz doesn&#;t require sealants neither. If you have a busy lifestyle, Carrara Quartz surfaces will bring ease of use and practicality to any space.

Design Options for Carrara Quartz

Carrara quartz countertops are available in various designs, albeit one common feature. All these designs feature a light grey or white backdrop with delicate grey veins flowing over the surface to create beautiful patterns, which make the Carrara quartz stones look like natural Carrara marble stones. There ae many different types of Carrara quartz, ranging from pure white backdrops to off white and greyish ones. Additionally, there are different types and shades of vein, ranging from very subtle to a very strong vein. And, with different volumes of veining.

Furthermore, if you are looking for a specific type and shad of Carrara quartz, there will be surely the perfect surface shade and type for it.

Contact us to discuss your requirements of Carrara Quartz Stone. Our experienced sales team can help you identify the options that best suit your needs.

Slabs of this quartz stone are available in many different thicknesses, finishes and sizes. A typical Carrara quartz slab offers dimensions starting at x mm, ranging to sizes of x mm.

Here are some of the popular Carrara quartz kitchen countertop design options you can choose for your home.

Compac Carrara Glace Finish

Aptly described as Carrara marble quartz that imparts a cashmere feel, this design features light veining and natural variations to give the worktop a light, airy feel. The delicate but stunning look offers a high-end, luxury feel to any kitchen without compromising with the strength and durability of the worktop. Besides, it requires little maintenance for upkeep. The Glace finish offers a velvety matt finish to the surface which feels amazingly sophisticated at touch. Compac Carrara Glace worktops are probably one of the best Carrara quartz matt surfaces currently the marketplace.

Silestone Lagoon and Silestone Lyra

Featuring a similar pattern than Compac Carrara , Silestone Lagoon also comes with a light Carrara quartz backdrop in shades of greys and white, with the forefront being adorned by light grey veins in unique patterns, making them different from the Compac Carrara model. If you prefer a stronger vein, why not choose Silestone Lyra? In contrast with Silestone Lagoon, this material displays strong veins in dark grey tones. Both Lagoon and Lyra can be availed in different sizes, finishes and thicknesses. Silestone Lagoon Suede or Silestone Lyra Suede are available in a glorious matt finish with a slight texture, offering depth to the material. Both materials are available in slab formats with dimensions x mm and x mmm. Besides, Cosentino who makes these products has come up with N-Boost which acts as a liquid repellent and works magnificently well in Carrara quartz polished finishes.

CRL Carrara Quartz

CRL Carrara quartz worktop surface features an elegant off-white backdrop adorned by exquisite greyish coloured veins in graceful patterns. The greyish veins offer unique elegance and sophistication to the kitchen worktop designs, which would blend in with both modern and traditional kitchens seamlessly. CRL Carrara quartz is available in slabs with dimensions of x mm which is perfect to create kitchen islands. In addition, you can choose this material in thicknesses of 20 mm and 30 mm. CRL Carrara quartz in 20 mm thickness is perfect to install splashbacks and to create stunning wall cladding designs in bathrooms. CRL Stone belongs to CR Laurence. This is a company born in the USA, with almost 70 years&#; experience in the Construct & Build Sector.

Caesarstone Georgian Bluffs Quartz

Carrara light quartz stones bring versatility to the kitchen worktop. Caesarstone Georgian Bluffs brings the same versatility to your kitchen worktop surface, albeit a thicker surface with a winter light grey backdrop and soft grey veining. The stunning design lends a natural setting, which suits all kitchen interiors, enhancing both form and functionality of the space. Caesarstone is the original manufacturer of quartz stones in an industrial scale. With origins in Israel in , this manufacturer of engineered Carrara quartz remains amongst the leading brand in the world. Georgian Bluffs is available in slab formats with dimensions of x mm. In addition, you can choose thicknesses of 20 mm and 30 mm. If you had a special project, 13 mm thick slabs can also be supplied under request.

Benefits of Carrara Quartz Kitchen Worktops

Some of the salient features of Carrara quartz kitchen worktops include:

• They are as close to natural stone as possible: Quartz Carrara stone is made of 93% natural quartz and 7% polymer resins.
• They suit a wide range of applications: Carrara quartz is suitable for a wide variety of applications, not limited to kitchen worktop surfaces alone but for flooring and backsplashes as well. It can be used in any area of interiors, including fireplace surrounds, walls and wet rooms.
• They are low maintenance: In contrast to marble countertops, Carrara quartz worktops require little to no maintenance, as they are non-porous and thus, stain and bacteria resistant.
• They are available in different variants: You can choose between matte and gloss finish. Also in Suede (matt with a slight texture) and Volcano (heavily textured) finishes. In addition, you can choose Carrara quartz in many different thicknesses and sizes.

Published by Jesus Alberto Mouzo on February 10,

For more information, please visit Super Jumbo Slabs.