Quartz
Quartz is a mineral, while marble and granite are rocks. A mineral is a crystalline object that has the same chemical makeup in all its parts. In quartz’ case, it is made of silicon dioxide. It is the most abundant mineral in the Earth’s crust.
Pure quartz is clear, but impurities lend this mineral a nearly endless variety of colors. The highest quality quartz is used in sculpture or even in jewelry.
Quartz is the main ingredient in the engineered stone use to make countertops and backsplashes. Powdered quartz is mixed with a resin and then formed into slabs.
Because of this, engineered quartz stone doesn’t need to be sealed, as does porous granite or marble. It resists scratches, can tolerate hot pots and pans and is resistant to etching by such acidic liquids as citrus juice or wine.
Granite
Granite is a rock. This means it is made up of several minerals, including quartz, feldspar and plagioclase. It is an igneous rock, which means that it was formed of the magma deep within the earth.
This makes granite very hard and durable. Granite, like quartz, can come in many colors. It can even resemble marble, with veins and clouds.
Marble
Marble is a metamorphic rock. This means it was formed over millions of years from another rock. In the case of marble, the original rock was limestone.
The colors of marble can range from pure white to black. Marble is often named after the place where it is found, and a famous type of white marble comes from Carrara, Italy.
Marble is cool to the touch and much softer than granite. It is etched and stained very easily unless it is sealed. But because of its coolness, marble is the ideal surface for making pastry.
